Bio: Navyaa Shukla, WA Winner 2017

Navyaa is one of our 2017 Leadership Competition winners. You can check out her winning entry here and her bio below.

Describe yourself in 80 words or less.

I guess to best describe myself, I’m a passionate and hardworking person who’s grown up watching what used to be a remote regional community grow into a city, my hometown, Karratha. I would also describe myself as an ambitious person, who is strong-willed and confident. Living rural for almost 13 years has given me an appreciation for little things in life (I mean, our biggest shop is woolies), so I enjoy spending time with family and friends.

How old are you, what grade are you in and what community/town do you live in?

I’m a 17 year old year 11 student currently attending St. Luke’s College Karratha in Australia’s north west Pilbara region.

Who is your role model and why?

While there are several people who I find inspiring including Emma Watson, J.K. Rowling and Steve Jobs, why put the pressure of being a role model on one or two individuals? Undoubtedly, these famous figures are inspiring to me as they pushed forward with their aspirations regardless of the criticism and hardships they endured. However, we should strive to be ‘role models’ for each other, aspiring to be a unique individual rather than a carbon copy of another person.

What’s your favourite thing about living in rural Australia?

Undoubtedly, the sunsets. I’ve seen them for almost 13 years now and yet, everyday is different. I also love how peaceful the lifestyle is; there’s an active and friendly community and there’s barely any traffic.

Why did you enter Country to Canberra’s Leadership Competition?

It seemed like an intriguing and out of the ordinary experience worth giving a shot; to be actually going and meeting these important figures and leaders is definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity.  

What do you hope to get out of the Power Trip to Canberra?

Well honestly, I’m just excited to be part of a such a unique opportunity but I hope to learn and grow through new connections and the overall learning experience of the Power Trip to Canberra. Hopefully, I’ll be able to bring some valuable experiences back to Karratha 🙂 

What’s your main goal/ambition right now?

For the moment, the only goal is to achieve high ATAR score that keeps all my future options open; one year down, one to go 🙂 Hopefully, this trip may even be insightful in terms of helping me consider career option that I hadn’t thought of earlier.

What’s your favourite quote?

Let your smile change the world, but don’t let the world change your smile.” — Unknown

Being a leader can’t always be easy, but I think a positive attitude is the first step in the right direction 🙂

Tell us a couple of things you do to relax/have fun?

I love reading, love Netflix but I also happen to have an amazing family and friends who love food just as much I do, so where there’s abundance of time, a restaurant is usually involved! I’m also a bit of a casual writer.

How do people stay in touch with you?

Just the usual social media: Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat.