Every year, we invite a selection of our volunteers and past yLead travellers to become mentors on our Cambodia and New Zealand Schoolies alternatives. As a mentor, their role is to provide support for all travellers, as well as offer insights into their experience stepping out of Year 12 to the world beyond. Our mentors act as fantastic role models for all graduates and are unique, impactful leaders in their own way. We are proud to present our Schoolies Mentor Team for this year – see below as they introduce themselves!
Help Out: Cambodia
Mika Francis
Hi! My name is Mika and I’m so excited to be a mentor for Help Out this year. I live on the Sunshine Coast and graduated from Burnside High last year after being School Captain. One of my favourite things is music, especially country music. I’m currently studying marketing and music at uni. I play guitar, love to read and love belonging in the yLead community; I find it really rewarding being around like-minded people. I’m a super positive person, and I’ll always do my best to make people smile and to make you feel welcome!
Ali Mordue
My name is Ali and I am so excited to be a 2019 Help Out mentor! I’m from the Hunter Valley, NSW (how I gained the nickname “Ali from the Valley” on Help Out last year.) I graduated last year and was a schoolies participant in Help Out 2018, where I fell in love with Cambodia and its culture (also met some of my favourite people!) I’m currently having a gap year, working and deciding what to do in 2020. So pumped for this amazing experience and to meet some undoubtably amazing new people!
George Conlon
Hello good people. I am George and for those of you who don’t know me, you will with this little bio. I am a passionate soccer player who loves a laugh and getting stuck in. I will always be up for having genuine and authentic conversations no matter the time or the place. Other things that I like to do include hanging out late with friends doing literally anything, coaching sport back at my school and volunteering my time back to yLead. Be your greatest self around me because there will be 0 judgement and I will vibe along with you all the time.
Thrill Out: New Zealand
Kate Blain
Hey, I’m Kate! I graduated from high school last year and am now a Paramedicine student. I know pretty well how exciting and daunting the idea of leaving high school is and I am so keen to share this experience with you. I love to have a good chat with anyone about anything so I’m super keen to get to know everyone. I’m also always down to have a good laugh (especially if I’m laughing at myself!). So, you can expect lots of that from me in New Zealand!
Kara Stefanos
Hello!! My name is Kara and I am so excited to join you on Thrill Out New Zealand! After I graduated in 2016, I went to Cambodia with yLead and it was one of the best decisions I could have made! I then took a gap year working on school camps where I got to go hiking, sailing and kayaking all year long. I’m currently studying Arts/ Law Honors at Monash University in Melbourne and am really enjoying it (aside from the readings…). I love to travel, eat good food and spend time with my big Greek family and friends! I cannot wait for New Zealand and I’m really looking forward to meeting you all!
Lewis Maudsley
Hey guys and gals, how’s it going? My name is Lewis, I am one of the four lucky mentors this year to be travelling to NZ with you all. I am so excited to be a mentor for you all this year. A bit about me; I am very tall, somewhere over 2 metres, I love Hawaiian shirts, a big bonus if you wear one on the trip, I am super friendly and love a good laugh so any joke will get me going. And for all of you who are anxious or need to ask a question I am all ears; I was in your position last year, so I know the deal.
Rosie Lennox
Hi, my name is Rosie and I’m super stoked to be heading to New Zealand this year! I started volunteering with yLead just over a year ago, and every opportunity I’ve been given to meet new people through repping the blue has brought me so much joy. I love working with young people so much, that it has led me to studying a degree in primary education. Alongside studying, I love my sport, working as a swimming and water polo coach, whilst also getting stuck into some social netball and water polo in my spare time. I’m also a self-professed Disney queen, and love a sing a long, so I can’t wait to have a sing and a laugh with the schoolies crew in December!
