Young people making an outstanding contribution across Greater Geelong have been recognised at the annual Geelong Youth Awards.
The City of Greater Geelong presented awards in nine categories at Friday night’s ceremony at Geelong West Town Hall, recognising the contributions of young people aged between 12 and 25 years who live, work, learn or play in Greater Geelong.
The awards ranged across areas of leadership, innovation, cultural awareness, community work, sport, arts, music and youth development.
Youth Council members were highly involved in the Youth Awards, developing the Unsung Hero Award category and participating on the judging panel as well as speaking at the awards ceremony.
The 2024 winners selected from 132 nominations are:
Active Achievement Award (two winners):
Tahlia Denham, 20, excels in sport, winning two gold medals in netball at the Australian Deaf Games and representing Victoria at the first National Cricket Inclusion Championship. She also played for the Australian Deaf Geckos women’s basketball team. Her dedication and hard work inspires others.
Simon Wolfe, 20, is known for his humility and quiet achievements. He promotes the AFL Barwon All Ability football league and led the Bell Post Hill Dragons to their first grand final win. Simon mentors young people through 4GR, a NDIS registered provider helping young people build confidence and job skills, and encourages sports participation in young people with disabilities.
Arts and Music Award (two winners):
Fiston Baraka, 20, a dedicated theatre artist, mentors fellow creatives and participates in projects like the GRID series, the North Children’s Choir, Kapsize, and Ahead Of My Time. Known for his kind, friendly and respectful personality, Fiston seizes every opportunity to spread a musical message, striving to create a better life for himself and others.
Heidi Cahir, 19, is a talented artist helping young people from low socio-economic backgrounds to develop their artistic skills. Heidi was exhibited in the National Gallery of Victoria’s (NGV) Top Arts exhibition and is the first art student to receive the DUX award among her graduating cohort at Northern Bay College. Heidi was accepted into Geelong Gallery’s Future Creatives 2024 exhibition and featured in the May/June 2024 edition of the NGV magazine.
Citizenship Award:
Daniel Lim, 13, established Casting Dreams in 2022, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to helping young people access the performing arts. To date, Daniel has provided eight scholarships totalling $5,000 with plans to award seven more in 2025. Also volunteering as a mentor at Centrestage, Daniel is widely respected for his leadership and community engagement skills.
Cultural Awareness Award:
Nazdana Husseini, 23, has volunteered for Cultura youth and community programs, designed digital content for the Respectful Relationships initiative and presented to community organisations and schools. Nazdana was a leader for the ROOT youth arts music project, and has performed at events including Pako Festa, the Geelong Arts Centre and International Women’s Day. With a focus on diversity and inclusion, Nazdana aims to highlight challenges faced when settling in a new country.
Innovation Award:
Casper Horne, 15, has sought grants from multiple organisations to start their own not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting other young people. Casper also serves in an advisory group for the City of Greater Geelong, elevating the voice of young people and highlighting their needs.
Inspiration Award (two winners):
Belle Boland, 22, a youth peer worker, uses her lived experience to advocate for mental health and inspire others. Despite the personal challenges she has faced, Belle advocates for a youth voice in the mental health system through creating digital content and participating in media opportunities.
Juliet Doling, 23, is an international student focused on environmental projects, and inspiring young people to pursue higher education and vocational training opportunities. Juliet led the 3220 Beach Patrol group and founded the Deakin-Corangamite Catchment Science Project. She is an ambassador for Study Geelong, the Lounge, and Deakin Student Experience. Juliet also founded the Deakin Ecological Collective and organised the ‘Everything Aquatic’ event.
Leadership Award:
Imogen O’Shannessy, 16, currently serves on five advisory committees in addition to the FReeZa committee that plans youth events. Imogen was a Youth Council 2022 member and is participating in the 2024 Victorian Youth Parliament, advocating to reduce disability discrimination, a cause close to her heart as a carer for their mother who lives with a disability.
Unsung Hero Award:
Ruby-Rose Braddock, 17, supports her school with planning events such as Wear It Purple, IDAHOBIT day and R U Ok Day. In 2023, Ruby-Rose represented Geelong in the Youth Parliament team, where she sponsored the bill ‘Disability Inclusion in Victorian Secondary Education’. A carer for her mother and grandmother, Ruby-Rose has been described as incredibly humble.
Volunteer Award – Working with young people (open to all ages. Two winners):
Skye Thompson, 17, volunteers extensively, assisting during the Ballarat fires and as a leader at Kidzone, a Salvation Army program. Other volunteer work includes at Disabled Surfing Association, Kids Camp, sporting carnivals, fundraising for the Epilepsy Foundation, Worlds Greatest Shave, Walk for Autism and the Red Shield Appeal. Skye balances these efforts with her studies and caring for her sibling.
Finlay Sinclair, 72, has volunteered in the L2P program for four years, devoting over 700 hours to helping 13 young people obtain their drivers license. Described as compassionate, kind, patient and incredibly humble, Finlay supports young people to overcome barriers to education and employment.
A special mention was given to
Luz-Celeste Fuentes, 17, for their efforts to raise awareness of suicide prevention and instill hope to our community.
Greater Geelong Mayor Trent Sullivan
It’s important that we recognise and celebrate the dedication and selfless work of young people in our community.
These awards give well-deserved recognition to the many young people who have gone above and beyond to help others.
Councillor Peter Murrihy
Their achievements help to make our region inclusive and a great place to live.
It’s exciting to see young people stepping up to make a positive impact in their communities.