Strong communities, stronger futures: How do diverse young leaders strengthen rural communities?

Young people, when informed and empowered, realise that what they do truly makes a difference and can indeed change the world. – Jane Goodall.

In 2021 there were 15 Country to Canberra winners. These fifteen young ladies used their knowledge and power to make a difference in rural communities. Samantha Dendle for example, uses her influence as a winner of the Country to Canberra to make a difference in Biloela. With her extended knowledge of leadership and her interest in the community, she shows the true values of a diverse young leader. She shows a vision of a better community for youth members, with the Biloela goes Blue movement and the Back to Biloela Movement (The Murugappan Family and their return to Biloela). She shows how being a youth leader in a rural community can really make a difference.

Youth leaders strengthen rural communities more than people tend to believe. The ideas, aspirations and visions bring a splash of colour to youth groups and show communities and even to political members. Even people such as Stuart McGrath, the Young Australian of the Year for the Northern Territory, shows the difference you can make with just a dream. In order to pursue his aspirations, Stuart has faced several obstacles, such as completing his first year of a Bachelor of Nursing degree remotely while holding down a full-time job. In order to enhance communication between medical professionals and patients, he worked with the Menzies School of Health Research to establish the “Ask the Specialist” podcast. He is also dedicated to closing the gap for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

Leader – “a person who rules, guides, or inspires others.” Youth – “The period between childhood and maturity, esp. adolescence and early adulthood.” Diverse – “having variety; assorted.”

Diverse youth leaders are a variety of people between childhood and maturity who rule, guide, or inspire others. Diverse young leaders are the key in strengthening rural communities. With the ideas and enthusiasm, they carry with them can only be described as eye opening. With their knowledge of what seems morally correct without the misled preconceptions of others helps the community really understand what will and will not help small towns and communities become the best they can. For example, in Biloela, we recently have had the honour of the Murugappan family returning back to Biloela. This honour was not without struggles of young members of our communities fighting to have the small family return to us and become part of our town once more. I believe without the strong youth leaders of the town fighting along with powerful members of the community this family would not have returned so soon. Without youth leaders, our communities struggle to grow, they struggle to make themselves stand out from the next town. However, with a strong and diverse group of young people in the town the possibilities are endless.

Small ideas become key dates in our calendars and issues are recognised and solved with the community showing a united front. A front where young members of the community stand tall, proud, and strong. In these moments I saw exactly what diverse young leaders in the community could do. I saw the courage and strength and the ideas behind their eyes, and I knew that within these young people we have the possibility to strengthen our amazing community. I see that within this amazing community that we not only are able to strengthen our amazing community, but influence others to follow us.

Be inspired by Tayla Harris and the other go-getters in the running to be named 2021 Young Australian of the Year. (2021). The Canberra Times. [online] 4 Jan. Available at: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7071580/meet-nine-inspiring-young-aussies-making-a-difference/. Country To Canberra. (n.d.).

2021 Leadership Competition Top 40. [online] Available at: https://countrytocanberra.com.au/2021-leadership-competition-top-40/ [Accessed 7 Aug. 2023].
www.dictionary.com. (n.d.). Definition of diverse | Dictionary.com. [online] Available at: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/diverse.www.dictionary.com. (2019a).
Definition of leader | Dictionary.com. [online] Available at: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/leader.www.dictionary.com. (2019b).
the definition of youth. [online] Available at: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/youth.