Theme: Shifting the Paradigm

Our students speak about making changes to better the world, the community and themselves.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Brolga Theatre
5 Walker st
Maryborough, Queensland, 4650
Australia

Ava Wilchek

Future FinTech and Sustainable Innovator

A technological innovator, change maker, amazing human who is loyal to her friends and family and someone whose destined for great things, Ava is a future leader. Although she is reserved and private, she has a great sense of humour and is very astute, which is perfect for the FinTech Industry, especially sustainability and humanity where her passion lies.

Daniella Lourigan

An Intellectual part-time Sportsperson

Daniella is a Queensland state age group representative in hockey, and regional representative in athletics. She is a natural born leader and someone who is currently playing in the highest sporting arena in her age group in hockey. Beyond the sporting boundaries, Daniella is an intelligent articulate leader who thinks outside the box to drive valuable work ethics and values. She is the manager of the St Mary's College boys rugby league team and currently challenging them in a game of netball and it is rumoured that she will be teaching the team how to knit in her attempt to break down barriers beyond the sporting boundaries.

Erik Svensson

Air Force Cadet and Student Gamer

An Australian Air Force cadet, Erik loves Yu-Gi-Oh and Magic the Gathering and is amazing with the Rubik’s Cube. A confident young man with lots of energy to share about gaming and his friends. Erik is asking the tough questions around student engagement.

Grace Riley

Environmental Advocate, Humanitarian and Musician

An environmental musician and someone who is passionate about the environment, the biodiversity and biospheres of every ecological species. Grace who is always reminding her peers about the impacts of our INACTION and that delays are only kicking the can down the street on climate change. Grace has never been so relevant in this time and age, especially with COP-26 and each and every one of us here in Maryborough taking ownership and making a difference to make sure that we keep it below 2 degrees Celsius. Thinking global but acting local.

Jade Macnamara

The Benevolent Leader

A passionate pragmatic student who has contributed a lot to St Mary's College in every leadership role and in her farewell senior year as school captain and probably this as 2021's valedictorian speech, Jade embraces failure and remind us all that mindfulness is the key to happiness. Enrolled in her freshman year at the University of Notre Dame in Fremantle, Western Australia in 2022, Jade will be missed at St Mary's College, Maryborough.

Jayanna Barratt

Rookie Apiculturist and talking about, Extinction! What's all the buzz about!

Jayanna is passionate about Bees and their significant contribution to our biodiversity. She is a ten pin bowling tragic who loves to practice her Japanese on the bowling alley. Jayanna is passionate about our Earth and all its ecological stakeholders including animals.

Laura Davies

Social Justice Advocate

St Mary's College Future Social Justice Leader, Laura loves playing Hockey, Rollerblading, Dancing and Sewing. She is a young leader with a great passion and kindness for the vulnerable, the weak and those misunderstood especially around Autism. She is keen to reframe social injustices at school and publicly around Autism.

Mackenzie Hawken

Artistic Generational Agriculturalist

Mackenzie's interests are soccer, equestrian, agriculture, photography and she believes that this opportunity is important for the youths at St Mary's College to have a voice and platform to raise things that matter to them. The future agriculturalist, Macca as she is affectionately known to her peers, is sharing a lot of personal messages and she wants the Fraser Coast region to reflect and remember that agriculture and the primary industries built this heritage city and region.

Skyla Birch

Future Change Maker

A golfer, stand up paddler, young culinary expert and another innovator and change maker that we should keep an eye out in the future. Skyla is always thinking ahead of how humanity can make our earth a better place, especially our oceans. She remind us that for a community that is dependent on its oceans for tourism, recreation and economy, we must not loot our sea resources but fish it ethically and sustainably thinking of our future generations.