The Young Achievers Award is for a young person under 24 years of age and recognises the outstanding achievement of a young Selwyn resident.

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CHLOE WRIGHT
As the head tutor at Swarm Studios Selwyn, Chloe Wright is an ambassador for Selwyn arts. At the age of 18, she assisted her mother Shalyma in establishing the foundations of a growing hip-hop dance empire in Selwyn. Having lived in Selwyn for seven years, Chloe recently graduated from Rolleston College with excellence in the arts (an honour received four times in the past) and has represented New Zealand twice at the Hip Hop International World Championships, in 2019 and 2022, placing 10th on the world stage. She was the youngest female to represent the South Island of New Zealand.

LILY PAYTON
Lily has been a dance teacher at TM Dance World for three years and previously assisted with dance classes for many years alongside other teachers. She teaches a range of students aged 4-12 years and teaches exam, competitive and recreational classes four to five times a week after school. She is also a mentor and coach to many individual dancers preparing for competitions, where she has also danced competitively for more than 10 years. This year, Lily is in year 13 at Darfield High School and is one of two ‘heads of wellbeing’ supporting other students to feel safe, happy, and look after their personal wellbeing.

EDISON & HARRY WILLAN
Edison had an idea to deliver flyers for local businesses and then extend the area to offer jobs to many other young people. Flyerboyz was then established and has now grown into a fully-fledged business, which has resulted in more 20 school aged children in Selwyn having the opportunity to earn pocket money.

ANNA ROBERTS
Anna Roberts has called Darfield home for 13 years, and Selwyn home her whole life. This has given her many opportunities including awards, leadership roles, jobs and other opportunities she says have helped her be authentic to herself. Over the past year, Anna has volunteered to teach children’s drama lessons in Darfield each week. She has also participated in the Spirit of Adventure, a 10-day sailing trip around the Hauraki Gulf, where she received the Jewellers award for showing the most growth throughout the trip and getting the most out of the adventure.

MOLLY LAURENCE
Molly Laurence is a nationally recognised young poet whose achievements include being published in Re-Draft, Spotlight on Student Poetry, Assembly and the Poetry New Zealand Yearbook (placing second in the year 11 category of the competition). She is co-chair of the Selwyn Youth Council, and is a house leader, peer supporter and debate mentor at Lincoln High School. In 2022, Molly was selected to participate in the BLAKE Inspire Environmental Leadership programme, which involved learning about environmental sciences, matauranga Māori, and conservation. She has been involved with projects like Write On Speak Out with Plains FM and the Christchurch Art Centre’s Off Centre arts festival.

GEORGE CONGREVE
George races a speedway solo motorcycle and during the recent 2022-2023 season, won the Canterbury, South Island and New Zealand senior solo first division championships along with the prestigious Bert Munroe Memorial title. No current or previous competitor has won all these titles in the same season. George is also the first club member to progress through the junior and senior ranks to race professionally overseas.

SOPHIE WILLIAMS
Sophie Williams is dedicated to supporting minority communities and future leaders. This includes:

  • Managing and coordinating Connect & Accept (a new event for people with disabilities)

  • Co-coordinating the SPACE Ball for 2022 and 2023 (a formal and inclusive ball targeted at queer youth in Selwyn and Christchurch)

  • Connecting SPACE with the wider Lincoln community at LU Community Day (providing representation of the rainbow community)

  • Volunteering with youth with disabilities at StarJam

  • Leading a cohort of student leaders as the chair of the Future Leaders Scholarship committee (enabling students to learn from new opportunities and become more aware of those around them especially those in minority communities).

EMILY OSBORNE
Emily Osborne is a second-year student at Lincoln University. At the end of 2021, Emily started university summer school, as she had been sick most of year 13 and missed out on university entrance. There, she started Iconic, a club that supports students with disabilities, chronic illnesses, neurodiversity, and everyone in-between. It has grown to have 45 members in less than one calendar year. Iconic now has a full calendar of events and meets fortnightly on campus. Additionally, Emily volunteers to provide disability advocacy to several Lincoln University hui is a mentor to students.

RAYHAN SATRIAWAN
Rayhan Satriawan is a former Lincoln High School student. Between 2018-2022, Rayhan volunteered more than 1000 hours to organisations involved in disaster and event management. This included the Muslim Association Canterbury, Lincoln Christmas Parade Committee, guiding and looking after patients at Christchurch Hospital (Christchurch Hospital Volunteers), leading and teaching youth first aid (St John Youth), onstage performance (Indonesian Student Association and Lincoln High School Kapa Haka performances), and others. Rayhan now lives in Wellington and is studying a Bachelor of Health Science - Paramedicine degree and assisting Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Volunteer Recruit Firefighter), St John (Youth Leader, soon to be Volunteer First Responder), and the New Zealand Cadet Forces (Supplementary Staff).

ALEXANDER VANE
From the age of six, Alexander has shared his experience and how he goes about the day-to-day challenges living with a rare and lifelong condition which is currently incurable. He has shared photos, talked with people, posted online, raised awareness and been the face of eosinophilic conditions as well as tube feeding locally, nationally and internationally. This has all been done while enduring 30 surgeries and multiple leading edge treatment trials. He has always been empathetic, humorous, courageous and a good friend to others. He sees this as service to the community, giving without expectation, and has a strong sense of purpose.

VAUGHAN SMART
Vaughan has been involved with road safety in Selwyn since 2021, when he became involved with Students Against Dangerous Driving/Kaitiaki o Ara (SADD). His achievements and contributions to road safety include:

  • Selection for the SADD National Leadership Programme (NLP) for 2021 – 2022.

  • Contributing to the 2022 Rolleston Road Safety Leadership Day.

  • Co-leading a strong SADD group at Darfield High School in 2022 and running events, including a Vehicle Safety Expo for Road Safety Week, in May 2022.

Vaughan has also been working on possible solutions for the lack of local Class 1 restricted and full licence driver testing in Selwyn for young people, and has conducted research with Waka Kotahi to project demands and met with Council staff to explore options.

AVI SINGH AULAKH
Avi Singh has contributed to the community as a volunteer instructor for the NZ Bhangra Academy for children and women at the Rolleston Community Centre. Avi volunteers every week on Thursdays, teaching basic bhangra steps in three separate classes. The classes help to increase the fitness of kids and women in the Selwyn community and involves them in Punjabi culture. Avi also volunteers as a youth leader at the Indian Learning Community Hubs every fortnight on Sundays, speaking as a part of the NZ youth and as an interpreter for the Indian community.

SHAYLA RIGG
Shayla Rigg has been involved in leadership roles, events, and passion projects throughout the Selwyn community, including attending the BioBlitz at Muriwai o Whata and assisting with the Mini BioBlitz at Mahoe Reserve. These experiences inspired Shayla to organise a two-part event (The Biodiversity Connection: Be the braided river) which will include a restoration planting at the Waimakariri River. Shayla has been involved in Selwyn Dinners, The Big Give 2023, Dog Watch Sanctuary, Green Dot Planting in Tai Tapu and facilitating workshops, and her leadership positions include Vice President of the Lincoln University Student Volunteer Army, President of The Pottery Club, and the Ecology and Conservation Executive Board at Lincoln University.

ISLA MCPHERSON
Isla McPherson helps students find their passions by providing coaching and sharing knowledge. Along with many sporting achievements including competing in Coast to Coast, winning the U19 South Island secondary schools duathlon in 2023, playing for Coastal Spirit Football Club and the Canterbury woman's U18 youth team, Isla came second in the Lake Crichton series in the long-course duathlon this year (winning seven times before this). She was selected to be an athlete in the Canterbury Sports Development Academy 2023, and is Head of Sport, World Vision and a House Leader at Darfield High School. Isla runs football training every week to get young people involved in the sport as well as leading a weekly student running group.