NSW Parliament Secondary Schools Leadership Program

NSW Parliament Secondary Schools Leadership Program

On Wednesday 19th May 2021, Leann Ng and I (Christina Lee) attended the NSW
Parliament Secondary Schools Leadership Program which was held at the NSW Parliament
House. We were given the opportunity to meet MPs and the Governor of NSW, Her
Excellency Margaret Beazley as well as Year 12 student leaders from various other schools.
Leann and I socialised with some of the other students, spending most of our time with the
representatives from James Ruse High School and Strathfield Girls High School. We listened
to different MPs including Mr Jamie Parker, Ms Jenny Leong and Ms Julia Finn, who spoke
about their experience and provided valuable advice for students pursuing careers in
leadership. After this insightful talk, which also included a brief Q and A session, Leann and
I personally spoke to Ms Jenny Leong, whose passionate speech was very inspiring, and took
a photo with her.

The students were then given a tour of the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly
chambers. Here, we learned about the history behind our system of government,
parliamentary proceedings, and the symbolic value of many of the features of the chambers.
This was a very interesting learning experience. After this, we were provided lunch.
Following lunch, we were led back to the same hall, where we watched an introduction video
of Her Excellency Margaret Beazley’s role as Governor. We took a scenic route through the
Royal Botanical Gardens to get to the Governor’s house. We were given a brief tour of the
house on the ground level, before we were told to wait outside for her Excellency to greet us.
This gave Christina and I the opportunity to explore her beautiful garden, which had a
fountain, and a breath-taking view.

When her Excellency arrived, we were given the privilege of asking her questions. Even
though she admitted to working countless hours, 7 days a week, it was intriguing to get to
know about her personal interests. She explained how much she appreciated theatre and
musicals, such as Hamilton, an amazing masterpiece. In most of her spare time, she would
read books. Her Excellency also claims that she loves meeting the diverse range of people as
Governor.

Overall, it was a very insightful and interesting experience for the two of us.

Leann Ng and Christina Lee