On Friday 5 August, Churchie welcomed back five Old Boys to help facilitate programs designed to guide and inspire current students on leadership and career opportunities. Headmaster Dr Alan Campbell said it was fantastic to see Old Boys return to campus to guide the students through today’s activities: “Students really appreciate hearing from alumni about how they came to their specific roles and getting personal advice on how they can grow their own professional skills.”

Aspiring Leaders’ Summit
The Aspiring Leaders’ Summit was an extension event held with year 9 students from Churchie and St Margaret’s. The Summit covered the topics of mindfulness, understanding empathy and inclusion. It followed a six-month Pastoral Learning course looking at leadership theories, building trust and leading teams effectively. Old Boy Stuart Waddington (1983) as the Keynote Speaker, was joined by fellow Old Boys Nick Marshall (1994) and Rhys Ibbott (2005) as workshop facilitators. Stuart, from New Arenas Capital, presented on what it means to be ‘fit to lead’ in the 21st century and discussed the importance of being decisive, thoughtful and agile when dealing with VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) in the world. Nick, who started The Albatross Nippers program at Nobby’s Beach, spoke about the importance of the three Cs – Care, Connection and Communication. In doing so he demonstrated how using leadership can make the world more inclusive for everyone. Rhys, from Wave to Wellness, talked about increasing self-awareness to assist in being decisive and grounded as a leader. He also talked about the benefits of mindfulness to help us stay calm in stressful situations.

QMEA Mining Matters Presentation
Churchie was also proud to host the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA), Australia’s largest and most successful industry-led initiative that helps guide students onto pathways into the resources sector by igniting a passion for geology, science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) industries. With workshops facilitated by Old Boys Jock Littlewood (2015) representing Glencore Coal and Charlie Graham (2011) representing South32, over 200 year 8 students undertook the interactive program. The students gained an appreciation of a real-world day in the life of people in the industry and what is involved in their line of work. More specifically it boosted their understanding of rocks and minerals and how they are used, whilst also connecting classroom learnings to outside applications of earth science and geology. Furthermore, it helped them to discover what goes into making common items they use every day.