Congratulations to Felicity Luder, the new Head of Aoraki for 2023!
Felicity, a full-time CGA student from Melbourne, Australia, has been appointed to this prestigious role at the age of 16. She is currently studying International A-levels and has already achieved great things since joining CGA in February 2021.
Read on to get to know Felicity and learn more about her motivation, goals, achievements, and aspirations as a student leader for an online high school.
Felicity applied for the role of Head of Aoraki with three major ideas in mind, all focused on improving extracurricular activities and student life. Her ideas were met with approval, and she is eager to see how the student body will engage with them and the impact this will have on the school and its socail and learning environement.
As a student leader, Felicity's main goal is to represent her classmates to the best of her ability.
I want everyone to feel comfortable with sharing their ideas with me and confident that their suggestions, questions and concerns will be discussed and worked on. During my time as Head of Aoraki, you will see the start of new initiatives, clubs, activities, and more.
When asked what her proudest achievements have been since joining CGA, she said:
During the 2022 Prize Giving ceremony, I received two subject awards – one for AS Economics and one for AS Psychology – and a high distinction award. I am very proud of these awards, though my favourite achievement since joining CGA would have to be my appointment as Head of Aoraki for 2023. In terms of personal skills, I have seen huge improvements in my organisational skills since attending CGA. It can take a while to learn how to effectively use that extra free time gained in between classes and from no longer travelling to and from school, but once I had adapted, I could do so much more with my day.
For fellow students, Felicity's advice is to not be afraid to get to know yourself. By gaining confidence in who you are, it becomes easier to handle and move past any mistakes and failures.
In her free time, Felicity enjoys writing poetry, singing, reading books on the occult, working part-time at her parents' business, and talking with her friends from CGA and her past schools. She also writes articles for the school newspaper, the CGA Press.
Finally, Felicity's favourite quote is "Be the change you want to see in the world" which highlights the importance of taking responsibility and recognizing the power within ourselves to make a change.
Student leadership is a critical component of education and personal development, regardless of the learning environment. Online schools provide unique opportunities for students to step up and take on leadership roles. By engaging in student-led activities, initiatives, and decision-making processes, students can develop valuable skills such as communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and self-confidence. It's essential to create these opportunities for students as this can greatly enhance the learning experience and foster a positive, supportive environment. By recognizing and encouraging the leadership potential in all students, we can help them develop the skills they need to succeed life beyond school.
Head of Aoraki