It has been a busy few weeks for The Armidale School’s Millie Coupland, who on Saturday night, April 6, was named the overall NSW Lions Youth of the Year at the competition State Final of in Tamworth.
Representing the Lions Club of Armidale Dumaresq, Millie took out the award ahead of finalists from the four other Lions Clubs Districts in Sydney and regional NSW.
The TAS Senior Prefect impressed the six judges with her extensive record of community service, leadership and academic success during interviews on Saturday, but it was also the large audience who were impressed during the public speaking component in the evening.
Candidates were first asked two impromptu questions- “Is it nice to be important, or important to be nice?” and “We all need air, water and food to survive – what three things can’t you live without?”.
In her prepared speech ‘Waves of Conviction’, Millie urged young people in particular to form opinions critically and rationally; express them with conviction and respect, and in an age of cancel culture, to not fall victim to descent into echo chambers online, wherever the be on the political spectrum.
“While the standard at State was expectedly higher, it was evident that going through the previous rounds had refined my delivery in each category and that is a true testament to the success of the Lions YOTY Quest in helping develop the skills of young people,” said Millie, who says that after school she would like to join the Australian Defence Force and study rural medicine.
The speeches aside, Millie’s community service, leadership and academic success can speak for itself. Last year she represented NSW at the national conference of UN Youth Australia which fosters in interest in global affairs and the work of the United Nations.
A keen debater, she is a member of the senior TAS debating team which last year were the senior division champions of the Australian Virtual Debating Competition. She also initiated and edits ‘Student Scoop’, a weekly student school newsletter.
Outside of TAS, her community involvement has included advocacy against the effect of fast fashion on the environment and child labour, particularly through her Recycled Style stall at Armidale markets which collects unwanted quality clothing and gives it away for free; she also undertakes work (with other TAS students) for the Armidale Women’s Shelter, earning her the Armidale Zonta Club’s Young Woman of the Year award just last week.
Millie said the support competitors received from their sponsoring Lions clubs and districts says a lot about the work done by the organisation.
“At any Lions Club event you are surrounded by an instant community which I have not seen replicated so genuinely anywhere else. I can’t thank the Lions local, zone and district communities for supporting me to get this far in both running the event and travelling hours to support me at the different rounds.”
It is the second time in three years that TAS and the Lions Club of Armidale Dumaresq have fielded the State winner.
The National Final will be held at Traralgon, Victoria, on 6 May.
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