Promising young leaders from the Beyond the Broncos program attended the 2023 Arrow Energy leadership camp in Brisbane to celebrate their achievements and build upon their leadership skills.
The 19 students from the Toowoomba and South West regions were given the unique opportunity to come together to participate in three intensive days of leadership workshops and activities designed to push them out of their comfort zone and hone their leadership capabilities.
The students were joined by Beyond the Broncos ambassador Scott Prince who encouraged the girls to make the most of this opportunity, saying ‘you’re all here because you’ve shown some qualities that deadly leaders possess’.
“Don’t waste this opportunity, take this opportunity to learn, get out of your comfort zone, and more importantly have some fun while we’re here,” Prince said.
The camp gave the Beyond the Broncos students the opportunity to hear inspirational stories from a number of young leaders in the community and learn about what it means to lead and create a positive impact.
Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy spoke from his perspective of becoming a leader early in his career, saying ‘to me, leadership is for everyone, and everyone has a role to play in that’.
“You might not be in a leadership position, but you can still be a leader. I think of the students in our programs as the next generation of leaders and that’s something that should be really exciting.”
Dalby State High School student Evelyn Cochrane says the camp has encouraged her and provided a safe space to participate in activities she typically shies away from.
“I’ve really enjoyed the Arrow Energy leadership camp. I’ve made new friends, I’ve been put out of my comfort zone, I’ve learned new things and I’ve talked and listened to a lot of big leaders that have really impacted our community.”
Arrow Energy representative Shenda Evans said the program is a great way to expand opportunities for the students in the Southwest region.
“We see a lot of benefit supporting the future Indigenous minds in Southwest Queensland and showing pathways to the young people of what they can achieve,” Shenda said.
“It was quite heartening to have the opportunity to hear from all the girls about where their leadership potential lies and how this program has given them confidence.”
The students visited the Broncos club where they toured the facilities, participated in a debate on the Voice to Parliament and met some of the staff and players at the club.
The visit to Red Hill culminated in a networking event, providing the girls the chance to talk to employers from a range of industries and work on building first impressions and putting their best foot forward professionally.
Regional Coordinator Penny Houlahan said, “it’s so important for their future. In years 11 and 12, they’re just starting to build the foundation of adulthood and going out into the world and coming to Brisbane might just plant a seed to say it’s not that daunting to come here and take an opportunity career wise.
“I absolutely love the program and I really encourage the girls to take the opportunities that I didn’t have growing up in the Southwest region and grab them by both hands.”
The Broncos thank Arrow Energy for their support of the Beyond the Broncos program in the Southwest and Toowoomba regions and investing in the success of the young leaders in the Girls Academy.