Ambassadors of Leadership
Ambassadors of Leadership are ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Each year they share their stories and inspire thousands of students at our Altitude Day programs.
Read below to see who will be speaking at your nearest Altitude Day, and register your students to be inspired and motivated by our Ambassadors of Leadership.
Jack Sinclair
The cycle of life
Jack Sinclair is a young Australian who has never let his age stand in the way of setting big goals and striving to reach them. At 15, he became the youngest person ever to cycle across Australia, starting in Perth and finishing in his home town of Surfers Paradise. He finished the 4500km ride in 30 days, in the process raising money for the youth mentoring service Big Brothers Big Sisters of Australia. As well as completing triathlons, marathons and the 96km Kokoda Challenge, he is also a pilot flying solo out of Gold Coast Airport and has flown aerobatics with the RAAF as part of the assessment for Fighter Pilot training. He has put his many talents, determination and drive into a range of endeavours, including Scouts, disabled kids, and Sydney’s Youth Off the Streets Charity, and is an inspiration to young people everywhere.
Rowena Szeszeran McEvoy
The ‘MAX’
Continuing to dazzle the world with her innovation and success, Rowie shares the sparkles that ignite her passion, and how happiness is the fundamental of any great life! She is the founder of THE MAX, a group of six International Fitness and Business Colleges, the author of three books, and the editor or the MAXimum RESULTS health and fitness magazine. In 2005, 2006 & 2007, Rowena’s business was on the BRW (Business Review Weekly) magazine, list of The Top 100 fastest growing companies in Australia -The same years she was also on the BRW young rich list- in the top 20 richest people in Australia, under the age of 40.
Matt Kershaw
A life of servitude and developing others
Matt is an enthusiastic young Australian with a burning passion to make a difference to this world. He is an inspiring, engaging and dynamic speaker. Throughout his short, but rich life he has had a myriad of experiences in education, sport, music, travel, leadership and community service, all of which have contributed to the person he is today. Matt's story in itself is one of inspiration, he takes students on an unforgettable development experience. Matt holds tremendous value in family, friends, health and serving others and has developed wisdom and maturity beyond his years. Matt's story in itself is one of inspiration, however when combined with the processes of yLead, he takes students on an unforgettable development experience.
Lucinda Hartley
Dedicated to alleviating poverty through sustainable design
Selected as a Young Social Pioneer in 2009, Lucinda Hartley has been focusing on how young people can be engaged and mobilised to improve cities and space through community oriented design. Lucinda, 27, is the founder of [co]design studio, a non-profit organisation which provides emerging architects with a platform to engage with community development projects. She believes that emerging designers all over the world can imagine solutions for urbanisation, poverty reduction and sustainable design, but often don’t know where to start. The aim of [co]design is to mobilise architects and urban planners towards socially responsible design. A Landscape Architect with extensive international development experience, Lucinda currently sits on the Youth Advisory Board of UN-Habitat and was previously the executive officer of Architects without Frontiers. She was the Young Professional of the Year in 2007, and in 2008 was profiled in FuturARC Magazine as one of the top thirty sustainable built-environment pioneers in Asia-Pacific. Let your students hear how this passionate young Australian is making a difference!
Yassmin Abdel-Magied
Youth empowering youth
At just 16 years of age, Yassmin Abdel-Magied established the organisation Youth Without Borders, a forum that empowers youth to work together for the implementation of positive change within their communities, locally and internationally. On an international level, the organisation is working with a youth group in Indonesia to establish mobile libraries and is in the early stages of discussion with the Queensland State Library to expand the project to include Papua New Guinea. Locally, Yassmin works with schools to promote diversity and understanding using sport as a medium for change. She is currently coordinating Shinpads and Hijabs, a soccer training program for young Muslim women. The program has six local female Muslim community representatives involved as volunteer coaches and mentoring is being provided by players from Queensland W-League club Brisbane Roar. Yassmin also sits on the board of the Youth Affairs Network of Queensland and while still at school became the Deputy Chair of the Queensland Youth Council. Yassmin’s work in the community is empowering young people to make positive changes in their lives and their communities.
Derrick McManus
Shot 14 times...and still laughing
Derrick McManus is the Police Officer with the Special Tasks And Rescue Group who was shot 14 times with a high-powered rifle in less than 5 seconds. With broken bones, severed arteries and massive injuries Derrick was lying, bleeding, for 3 hours while waiting to be rescued. He was so close to death that his vision closed down and he saw the ‘White Light’. Doctors estimate he was within 30 seconds of death.
Against all the odds and predictions Derrick survived the shooting and proved that we can defy the odds if we are willing to have a decent crack at making things happen. When Derrick first said he wanted to return to operational duties, many laughed and said that with his injuries it would be impossible. But to Derrick, the word impossible just means ‘a slightly bigger challenge’.
Derrick will describe the whole shooting incident and you will, at times, be laughing at how he describes being shot 14 times. Derrick has a great sense of humour about the shooting but never disregards the seriousness of the incident or the impact on himself and others. Derrick will show you how to have the Confidence, Courage and Capacity to have a crack at what other people consider impossible for you.
Amy Gascoigne
Inspiration in a can
When caught a youth spray painting graffiti at a skate park, she resolved to create a program that would refocus this pastime. Amy single handily raised funds through donations to build a program that creates legal graffiti and the result was Aerosol Angels.
It was a challenge to get the program up and running and she still struggles to access enough funding to keep the program in operation, but Amy’s determination has kept it alive. Amy coordinates the group on her own, managing the various issues and attitudes of the kids involved. Through her guidance, these young people share their techniques and give one another guidance, moral support and encouragement.
Each week, Amy is out in the community explaining the rules and expectations of her group to more young people, turning them into artists through her program. Amy has now worked with over 60 young people from varying backgrounds and has seen Aerosol Angels develop into an institution within the community. Through encouragement and praise, Amy has taught these troubled youths to believe in themselves and follow their dreams.