COURTING POLITICAL AMBITIONS

Courtney Robinson pictured with Kiama MP Matt Brown beat over 2000 other nominees to claim the prestigious 2006 Ministers Award for Excellence in Student Achievement.

A TALENTED Kiama High School student with a passion for soccer, politics and history has received the prestigious 2006 Ministers Award for Excellence in Student Achievement.

Year 12 student Courtney Robinson beat over 2000 other nominees to claim one of the 38 awards at a ceremony held at the Department of Education headquarters in Sydney last Thursday.

Nominations are received on the basis of excellence in a wide cross-section of activities including public speaking, sport, school leadership, student representative council initiatives as well as the creative and performing arts.

I was pretty shocked when I received the letter, she said. I was happy just to be nominated so I was very proud when I found out I was going to receive the award.

The 2006 School Captain had demonstrated a high level of leadership through her time on the Student Representative Council while also putting in countless hours of volunteer time for both the Starlight foundation and the Albion Park Soccer Club.

I really enjoy just working with people for people, she said. With the Starlight foundation I basically help out on Star Day and with any other functions they have while I have won the soccer premiership for the last four years with Albion Park and I also made the Southern NSW representative team.

The talented teenager plans to begin an Arts degree at Wollongong University next year hoping to one day forge a career in the cut throat world of federal politics.

I am not really sure which party I would like to represent at the moment. I would have to research that a bit more I dont think I would be informed enough to make that decision, she laughed. I would really love to get into diplomacy, I am very interested in the humanitarian side of things.

I have got a family friend who works for the UN in Uganda and she said I can come and do work experience over there for a while. That is definitely the sort of thing I would be interested in.

Kiama MP Matt Brown said Courtney was a great example of what students can achieve through the public education system saying it was always great to see young people achieve their goals.

Courtney Robinson has excellent academic achievements across a wide range of subjects in Years 11 and 12, he said. Courtney sets out to help others and it is fantastic to see a young person who is so community minded. She is a credit to her family, school and community, and I hope this award can provide an added incentive and motivation for her to achieve her goals.