Zonta Young Women In Leadership
On Tuesday night, I attended the Zonta Young Women in Leadership Award ceremony, joined by five other inspiring finalists, where I was also joined by Ms Awad, Ms Bosnich, Mrs Nadar, Miss Martinez and Mrs Monk for the evening. This award works to recognise young women, ages 16-19, for demonstrating leadership skills and commitment to public service and civic causes.
The application process for this award included filling out a nomination form that detailed my community service involvement, such as volunteering as a netball coach and school leadership opportunities. I then had to attend an interview with Zonta members. I also took part in an interview with members of Zonta, where I spoke about my aspirations in international relations, my passion for social justice and the inspirational women who have influenced me.
That night, I was also asked to give a speech about how I believe AI will impact my future career in international relations, which I am passionate about as I will get to work in communities and I aim to promote social justice. Each finalist gave a speech, passionate about similar things, including advancing healthcare for women and increasing female representation in leadership. Their passion and dedication for empowering women left me inspired and reinforced my own commitment to community service.
Being nominated as a finalist was a big honour, as I was recognised for the hard work and commitment I have shown through community service. More importantly, this achievement has encouraged me to continue to work to support women and serve the community. In particular, as I finish high school, I wish to carry with me the inspiration of Zonta and the value of Serviam, committed to creating meaningful change.
Zara Sly
College Co-Captain
Zara’s Finalist Speech:
Good Evening, My Name is Zara Sly, a year 12 student from St Ursula’s College. After this year, I wish to continue on to university where I will complete a degree in International Relations. At a time where Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is constantly evolving and fundamentally transforming the workforce, it will provide both opportunities and challenges in this field. The future of AI is no longer a futuristic fantasy. We are living and working with it now. Bill Gates predicted that AI will “render many jobs obsolete,” with only coders, energy experts, and biologists as continuing careers. As Stephen Hawking warned, “Success in creating AI would be the biggest event in human history. Unfortunately, it might also be the last, unless we learn how to avoid the risks.” There is so much unknown about AI’s trajectory, but I do believe that it will reshape the world of diplomacy. While there are concerns on a global scale with ways in which AI will be used for misinformation, and manipulation of surveillance, we need to ensure that policymakers and international organisation cooperate to develop ethical frameworks, working together to understand and address these risks. In my future we will need to understand both humanity and technology to navigate these challenges. One of the primary reasons I wish to engage in International Relations is to be able to work in communities with others to promote humanity. While AI does pose a threat to many careers, it can not substitute for cultural sensitivity, emotional intelligence, or the trust built through genuine human connection. These are areas where human intuition remains irreplaceable, and these human qualities form the foundation of successful diplomacy. No technology will be able to replicate this. AI will be able to complete administrative tasks such as creating communications, assessing and recommending policies, negotiation, and decision making processes. So, rather than being buried in paperwork, I believe that AI will allow me to engage more deeply with people on the ground – by listening to them and representing their needs on a global stage. AI might help us better understand global challenges, but it will still take humans to respond to them with compassion and wisdom. Thank you
