Get to know Jess, our new deputy youth board rep!
In 2020 SADD appointed our first ever youth board rep, Sterling Maxwell. It was a key step in ensuring that SADD has a youth voice at all levels, and has been a really positive experience! Sterling will be staying on in 2022 for a second year, and we are happy to announce that we have appointed a deputy youth board rep to work alongside her, with the aim of taking over as the lead youth rep in 2023! Jess Darnley is going to be filling this role, and we are very excited about her getting involved. We thought that this blog would be a good chance for you all to get to know Jess a little better!
Tell us a bit about yourself, Jess?
“I have been at Albany Senior High School the past three years, and it’s where I was first properly introduced to SADD (cheers Ben!). I joined the committee in 2019, and have been co-leader since 2020. At school, I was known as the person who was involved in almost everything possible, from committees and clubs to events and more. This rings true outside of school too, where I’m involved in a small band, girl guiding and even a circus skills class.
Next year I plan to study Health Science First Year at the University of Otago. It’s going to be quite a change in climate from Auckland, but I’m really excited!”
What made you decide to apply to be our deputy youth board representative?
“I applied because I like SADD so much. I love what amazing work the organisation does, and the leadership and development opportunities it gives to young people all over the country. I applied because I wanted to ensure that young people within the organisation continued to have a voice in what their programme and work looked like. I enjoy meeting and talking to new people about their experiences, and this skill will be used a lot during this role, so I can best portray an accurate student voice!
But mostly, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to SADD. I want to ensure that all young people going through the organisation have an equal, or even better, experience to what I had, and being on the board is a great way for me to put forward this vision. “
Why do you think it is important to have a youth voice at all levels of an organisation?
“Youth are the future. We see things so differently from adults, and with social media and times changing very quickly nowadays, it is so vital that young people are heard from and listened to when decisions about them are made. Student voice should have a high weight on how decisions are made when they affect them! For SADD, as a youth-led organisation, youth need to be heard at all levels to ensure that it is the best it can be at that time.”
What are you looking forward to in the role?
“I am really looking forward to working with Sterling and continuing on from the amazing work she has already done this past year. I am also quite excited to see how the organisation is run from this level, and how decisions are made. I am also excited to really push getting student voice from all levels of SADD involvement, so we can try and get more people involved.”
How can other young people involved with SADD support you and Sterling in your roles as Youth Reps?
“Get in contact with us! Let us know what you love about the programme and what you think could be improved. You have a much better idea of what works when talking about road safety to other young people than the adults do, so you can change things for the better. We are here to be your voice, so let us hear you.”
What encouragement would you have for young people applying to be on a board of trustees?
“Just go for it! If you have the passion and will to apply then you have what it takes. Just know that you can make a huge difference whether you’re on the board or not, so either way, make your voice heard.”
You are stuck on a deserted island, what three things do you take with you?
“- For starters, my water bottle. I definitely have an unhealthy attachment to my water bottle! I take it absolutely everywhere with me, even though it’s chipped, dented on the bottom and rattles when you shake it 😂
- I’m a rather practical person, and being in Girl Guiding for so long I know that the first thing to kill you is exposure, so I’d take a shelter with me. Probably a tent, so I can move it around to the nicest parts of the island!
- Lastly, I think I’d take a book. Depending on how long I am stuck on the island my phone might die, so a book will probably provide more entertainment! I’ve just started reading Weapon by Lynette Noni (2nd part of a really good series), so I’d take that with me.”