Wollongong Youth Week Awards

Charlie has been described as a kind person who dedicated much of her time to volunteering and helping others.

Charlie has volunteered for many events including being a park run volunteer, school peer support leader, member of her school's student advisory panel, collage ambassador for her school open day for 4 years, STEM outreach program teacher, volunteer at a local food bank and a regional public speaking moderator.

Her biggest achievement was when she won 1st place for the The Gist's 'She did what?' national video competition, in which she got invited to travel to Melbourne to meet the woman she made the video on.

She has also received the Australian Defence Force's Future Innovators award last year, receiving her schools' Principles RISE award, two regional STEM mad awards, submitting two other videos to the Australian Sleek Geeks awards and Endeavour Scholarship, and winning third place in the Da Vinci Decathlon in 2022. She volunteers much of her time to her school community and is proud to help others.

As former Young Mayor of Wollongong's first youth forum, Emma has demonstrated amazing leadership qualities, commitment, and passion for creating a more inclusive environment for young people in our community. Following this, she represented her community as a delegate at the National Leadership forum 2024 where she contributed community service for elderly people amongst other acts of service.

She has assisted students at her high school with debating programs and coaching, is currently a student ambassador at her university. During her time at school, she was also a student ambassador for the Push-Up challenge, where she advocated for mental health, which created safer spaces in her school and represented her peers at Dapto High School.

She was a strong advocate to assist with infrastructure upgrades within her school. Emma is dedicated to making inclusive spaces for young people in the Wollongong community.

Matthew’s dedication to the arts as a curator and artist is evident in his work. He has played a key role in organising and curating multiple exhibitions at Project Contemporary Artspace, demonstrating his commitment to fostering creative communities.

His deep understanding of contemporary art, combined with his ability to curate dynamic exhibitions, showcases his passion and talent. Beyond curating, Matthew is a queer artist who highlights queer history and normalises queerness through his work. His art challenges traditional narratives, creating space for queer identities to be acknowledged and celebrated. By bringing visibility to queer stories, he contributes to a broader cultural shift towards inclusivity.

Matthew’s dedication to both curating and advocating for diverse voices makes him an exemplary candidate for this award. He has been selected as an artist for the 2024 HERE&NOW exhibition followed by being a curator for the 2025 HERE&NOW exhibition.

Natahlia says dance is who she is as well as her chosen career. She lights up the stage and absolutely loves performing. From being on the world stage to entertaining thousands at the Sydney Opera house, Natahlia gets into character, brings every genre to life and gives each performance her dedication.

She has achieved many things including: Representing TJS Dance Academy at the elite GTB World finals in 2024, Natahlia won Overall World Champion Runner up. Natahlia was selected into the Australian Ballet School and has continued to be offered a place with them each year. She has been successful in making national finals in various elite ballet competitions such as the Australian Classical Grand Prix and the Australian Classical Challenge.

Natahlia recently attended regional qualifiers and received 1st in all sections: including commercial contemporary, Broadway, traditional contemporary, storytelling, ballet, Jazz, musical theatre and lyrical. Natahlia has also been participating in the prestigious "Isobel Anderson Awards", run by the Royal Academy of Dance Australia.

Jayanth has been described as one of the most hard-working and committed young musicians his musical mentors have encountered. Jayanth can be found wherever live music is being played, always appearing with a different group, often playing a completely different genre.

He is humble and enthusiastic about his music and dedicated for someone his age. Between 2021 and now Jayanth has taken to the stage with his bass guitar on about 90 separate occasions, including: Honk 2025, Korma Kids Youth Orchestra, Southern Stars, Schools Bands, Regional Performing Ensemble, and so many more.

At 15 years of age, Jayanth has achieved an abundance of awards to reflect his dedication and time to his passion.

Samuel Lowe has reached the pinnacle of his chosen sport in Australia. As the current U18 Australian Surfing Champion, Samuel has demonstrated high level performance surfing and impressive sportsmanship to become a role model for young surfers as he represents Australia as a member of the prestigious Irukandji Team at the ISA World Championships.

Samuel not only won the Australian Title, but he also won the overall 2024 Australian U18 Junior ratings. On his way to winning the Australian Title, Samuel convincingly won the NSW State Title and the Regional Title. In addition, Samuel won the Australian Interschool Individual U19 Championships. Samuel was Captain of The Illawarra Grammar School Surfing Team, placing in 3rd place at the Australian Titles and has played a significant role in raising the profile of surfing at his school.

As a current Year 12 student, Samuel will lead the school team in 2025 at the Australian Interschools Championships. Samuel is a valued member of his community and an integral part of the Sandon Point Boardriders Club.

Fatima has a real commitment to bettering the lives of young people. She is focussed, passionate and committed to making the Wollongong region an even better place for young people to live, learn, and connect.

She is an active member of Keira High Schools Student Representative Council where she has been supported in developing her concepts of a Youth Green Space for students and the Garden Initiative Project. This project focuses on creating eco-friendly spaces around Wollongong, especially a community garden where young people can grow their own plants, fruits, and vegetables. It gives students a place to connect with nature, learn hands-on gardening skills, and grow fresh produce that we can share with the community. The garden also includes areas for relaxation and socialising, with shaded seating, study spots, and regular workshops on sustainability.

Fatima's projects have demonstrated an insightful symbiosis to marry all the elements of what young people need while enhancing our broader Wollongong community.

Mitchell Wilson passion has been described as able to shine through everything he does, and his empathetic nature makes him a positive influence and role model for his peers. Mitchell has worked hard to build his business - Mitchell’s Photography and has shown great initiative by participating in local markets, selling his work, and capturing significant community events.

His entrepreneurial spirit, paired with his love for photography, drives him to constantly seek self-improvement while contributing to his community. Mitchell’s determination, work ethic, and growth over the years are truly inspiring. Over the past two years, Mitchell has won first prize in the Under 20s category at the prestigious Sydney Royal Easter Show. This accomplishment highlights his exceptional skill and artistic eye, setting him apart as an emerging photographer.

Mitchell’s work was also featured on the Sydney Swans' Instagram page, where his photos earned over 16,000 likes. His market stall and Instagram page are a testament to his dedication and entrepreneurial spirit, showcasing his growing reputation as a talented young photographer with a bright future ahead.

Congratulations also go to the following nominees, who were highly commended in our Youth Week Awards:

• Highly Commended Young Person - Community Ambassador 2025: Piper Marziano
• Highly Commended Young Person - Sportsperson 2025: Savannah Wiki