Chats with Hillary - Waimakariri Youth MP
This week on the blog Lydia asked Hillary (the Youth MP from the Waimakariri District) a few questions about her involvement as a Youth MP, and what her focus in that role was. Hint: It’s to do with road safety!
Kia ora Hillary, tell us a couple of things about yourself?
My name is Hillary Cooper and I am a year 12 at Oxford Area School . I have grown up on a dairy farm my whole life, I guess you could say it's in my blood. One of my favourite things is to meet new people and share new experiences. I love the outdoors and doing numerous activities like skiing, water sports and most importantly being with my friends and family.
How did you go about applying for being a Youth MP?
My school played a massive role in me applying to be a youth MP, but my local MP promoted it on many platforms like facebook and his website, he also paid a visit to many of the local high schools. I then went on to send in a cover letter, CV and a small piece about myself, and why I wish to apply for that position. I was then selected to attend an interview where I was asked to tell them about an issue I feel youth face in my community, this is where I presented my idea on the license barriers.
So awesome that you were successful, you were a great choice for the role! What does being a Youth MP involve?
It involves finding out more about an issue you feel youth in your community has, and then turning it into a project and taking action. You also get plenty of opportunities to learn off your MP by attending meetings and conferences. My MP and his team supported me to carry out my project and help grow my personal skills.
You touched on it earlier but what topic did you choose to focus on?
I choose to focus on the barriers we as youth have in getting our licenses, and then moving through the system. Things like accessibility, cost, and misinformation.
As a Delivery Lead I hear from young people all around NZ that are facing similar issues in their communities too! What made you want to focus on that issue?
When I went for both my learner and restricted license, I faced these issues myself, booking was complicated to do and very costly, I did not have the right ID and it pushed me back. I then went on to talk with others and found that it wasn't only me who had these complications.
How have you found the experience so far?
To put it simply, life changing. I have grown so much as a person and gained great skills that I will be able to take on further in life. By being a youth MP I have learnt how to communicate with a variety of people as well as learn more about how I work and communicate.
Why do you think it is important for young people to have a platform to share their thoughts and opinions?
I think that youth can be overlooked because of our age, but we share opinions and thoughts that should be valued and listened to. We see things through a different lens and quite often the topics of conversation we are living in or will be consumed by in the future.
What would you say to another young person who might be interested in applying to be a Youth MP?
Go for gold! Allow yourself to experience something new, and use it to listen and make new connections with a variety of people.
So great to hear from a young person like Hillary who is making waves in her community, and nation-wide! We are so impressed with the work she has put in and the passion she does her work with!
If you want to see more about the Youth MP programme, have a look at the links below:
https://www.parliament.nz/en/get-involved/youth-parliament-2022/