Greater Geelong’s young stars shine at Youth Awards

GREATER Geelong’s outstanding young people aged between 12 and 25 have been celebrated at this year’s Geelong Youth Awards.

Selected from 132 nominations, 13 winners were named across nine categories at last Friday’s presentation event, recognising the contributions of the region’s young people in areas ranging from leadership and innovation to cultural awareness and the creative arts.

“It’s important that we recognise and celebrate the dedication and selfless work of young people in our community,” City of Greater Geelong mayor Trent Sullivan said.

“These awards give well-deserved recognition to the many people who have gone above and beyond to help others.”

The Active Achievement Award, which recognises the positive impact a young person has had on the community through their involvement in sport and recreation, was jointly presented to 20-year-olds Tahlia Denham and Simon Wolfe.

Ms Denham inspires others with her dedication and hard work, and has won two gold medals in netball at the Australian Deaf Games and represented Victoria at the first National Cricket Inclusion Championships.

Meanwhile, Mr Wolfe encourages sports participation in young people, promotes the AFL Barwon All Ability football league and helps young people build confidence and job skills through a mentorship program run by NDIS registered provider 4GR. He is known for his humility and quiet achievements.

The Arts and Music Award, which celebrates a young person for their hard work, creativity and passion in and community engagement through their art, also had two winners: musician and theatre performer Fiston Baraka and artist Heidi Cahir.

Mr Baraka, 20, participates in several creative projects, mentors fellow creatives and strives to create a better life for himself and others, while Ms Cahir, 19, helps young people from low socio-economic backgrounds develop their artistic skills and has excelled in her own craft, exhibiting in the National Gallery of Victoria’s Top Arts exhibition, amongst other achievements.

The Citizenship Award, recognising community involvement and a dedication to empowering others, was presented to 13-year-old Daniel Lim who is widely respected for his leadership and community engagement skills.

Daniel established not-for-profit organisation Casting Dreams in 2022 to help young people access the performing arts. Since then, he has funded eight scholarships totalling $5,000 for local students and plans to award another seven through 2025.

The Unsung Hero Award, which was developed by the City of Geelong’s 2024 youth council to celebrate a young person making a difference but not in a way that would typically receive recognition, was awarded to Ruby-Rose Braddock, 17.

Ms Braddock, who has been described as incredibly humble, is a carer for both her mother and grandmother and has supported her school by planning events for Wear It Purple, IDAHOBIT Day and R U Ok Day.

The other category winners were:

• Cultural Awareness Award – Nazdana Husseini, aged 23
• Innovation Award – Casper Horne, aged 15
• Inspiration Award – awarded jointly to Belle Boland, 22, and Juliet Doling, 23
• Leadership Award – Imogen O’Shannessy, aged 16
• Volunteer Award (open to individuals of all ages) – awarded jointly to Skye Thompson, 17, and Finlay Sinclair, 72

A special mention was also given to 17-year-old Luz-Celeste Fuentes for their efforts to raise awareness of suicide prevention.

Councillor Peter Murrihy said the achievements of Greater Geelong’s young people help to make the region an “inclusive and great place to live”.

“It’s exciting to see young people stepping up to make a positive impact in their communities.”