Our Catholic Augustinian Identity
1A. Strengthen a shared, contemporary, community model of the Catholic Augustinian traditions with an explicit focus on developing a Christ-centred personal faith and spirituality.
- To encourage, demonstrate and model Augustinian values in student voice.
- Stakeholder engaged:
- Students
In August, our student leaders contributed an article to The Augustinian, regarding leadership in an Augustinian school.
Leading in an Augustinian School
The graduating student leaders of 2023 were invited to share with our Augustinian community, their experiences as both captains and disciples in an Augustinian school. As the boys prepare for their HSC and pass on the role of student leadership to the next group of fine young men, College Captain Max Martin, Vice Captain Charlie Darrow and Head Prefect Hugh Brogden write of their humility, gratitude and understanding over the past twelve months as they personified Saint Augustine’s words; “Carrying out a position of leadership doesn’t consist of being above but being before”.
Max Martin, College Captain
Being a leader in an Augustinian school has not only guided me through my growth as an individual but has also taught me to take pride in the Augustinian collective and community.
At Saints, we pride ourselves on fostering a community where love and unity prevail. As leaders, we have had the opportunity to explore and nurture a sense of love among our peers and faculty, creating an atmosphere of support and togetherness that extends beyond the classroom. For example, we held a Student Voice Week that featured a mix of activities for all students: Town Hall, school-wide surveys, and karaoke in the quad (really harnessing the voice of the students!). It was fantastic to see the school come together during this time as a united community. After all, seeking truth and wisdom is at the core of an Augustinian education. This pursuit of knowledge, both in academic endeavours and personal growth, has enriched our leadership capabilities and empowered students at the same time. Integrity and responsibility are values that underpin our approach to leadership. These principles have guided our decisions and actions, contributing to the maintenance of our school’s values and setting a positive example for our fellow students.
Charlie Darrow College Vice Captain
Leadership is a call to serve others with a hope of enacting change. Sometimes you see the immediate results, sometimes results ripple through time. But the changes you make today could plant the seeds that blossom weeks, months, or years after you have graduated from the college.
As humans, our response to situations is often to be motivated by our own self-interests, and it is through leadership that we learn to act with other’s interests in the front of our minds, instead of it being an afterthought. Especially in an Augustinian school, where community, love of others, and truth are the core values that mark nearly every hallway and room in the school, it is essential.
Accordingly, our leadership time this year aimed at getting everyone involved in the community, sporting, academics, co-curricular, and everything in between. The team was tasked to lead by example, seeing all leaders making appearances at Friday night soccer games, Saturday afternoon footy, and participating in the theatre sports competition (being well out of our comfort zones for many of us). The effects were felt instantly, seeing the crowds grow at the sport, and more people actively engaging in the theatre sports competition and providing prompts. That is leadership to me, the enactment of small changes that synthesise to alter the College’s culture for the better and promote a further understanding and lived experience of Augustine’s values.
Hugh Brogden, Head Prefect
A critical component of being a student leader at an Augustinian school is upholding and representing the voice of the student body. Our team consistently aims to bring the voice of our boys to the forefront in all decision-making. It is important that they feel respected and represented and that has been one of our core goals this year.
The student body has a strong desire to engage with the culture of the college and to be good Augustinian men, it is simply up to us as leaders to present them with the opportunities. Our students have a fire of faith in them, and they wish to express this in everything they do. The strongest memories I have of my time at the college are moments such as last year's graduation, where even on a public holiday, over 1500 students came in to give the graduating class a proper send-off. This is the true joy of being a student leader at an Augustinian school, seeing the boys grow together as one unified community that inspires and cares for one another.
