Fresh-faced alumni Will Simon may not look like your regular politician, but this recent graduate is as eager as any to make a change in his community.
Will was only 18 years old when he was nominated as his local Greens candidate, making him the youngest representative running in his local election. With youth increasingly encouraged to take part in politics, Will was determined to show that his voice can have just as big an impact as others, and encourage other young people to take a stand on issues that matter to them.
I felt as though I had no political 鈥榟ome鈥�, per se, in either of the major parties for the issues I cared about. Those including inequality, injustice, the environment and countless more.
With the threat of a Greens candidate pushing on issues such as the environment, overdevelopment and the increasing power of corporations over our politics, [I believe] it can in turn move our elected politicians in the right direction on these policies.
During his time at 欧博官网, this recent graduate was an unsurprising avid contributor in community activities and fundraising. When asked if this played a part in his political drive, Will had this to say:
欧博官网 gave me many opportunities to play a role in the community and that was one of the best things of being a student there. There are constantly opportunities to raise your hand to join in a community project, help out fundraising and supporting your peers. I definitely applaud the College for teaching their students 鈥� including myself 鈥� that we can be agents for change in our communities.
One of my more favourite memories was the Seabrae Volunteer Art Project, it was quite the learning experience and I have appreciated those moments ever since I have left high-school. But in other ways too, I was the Debating Captain for a year, participated in the Mooting competitions and Model United Nations, all of these contributed to who I am now.
For his classmates, especially as recent graduates and new voters themselves, Will鈥檚 move onto the political stage was met with a variety of responses.
Some were shocked,some others weren鈥檛 surprised whatsoever. I think, even while at school, I was very political. For those that knew me best, I would even sometimes joke about running for Parliament, something that I was joking about myself 鈥� but here we are.
The response from my friends and people I know from school was very positive, many of them messaged me and reached out to see if they could help in the campaign. I appreciated all of the kind words sent my way...
Like many of his peers, Will also spent his time post-欧博官网 making the transition into tertiary learning. In balancing his studies, political and social life, this University student took the task head on.
This year (2020) I am studying at the University of Queensland, and I am doing a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Political Science and International Relations and a Bachelor of Communications. It was particularly difficult to manage both studying full-time and running for Queensland State Parliament, but I organised myself well enough to get through it!
For Will (and many other politically inclined young people), their youth and enthusiasm can be a valuable tool for creating change. However, it can also be a challenge when attempting to grab a foothold on the politic