Two voices, one vision
On a field in Singleton, a twelve‑year‑old representative stands at a line marked with numbers. Run this fast. Jump this high.
Years later, Jasmine remembers how those bars felt – “really detrimental to young players,” she says. So when she began running strength and conditioning for the rep side, she pushed back.
“We shifted expectations away from raw metrics. Success aged eight or twelve isn’t a sprint time; it’s confidence, growth and belonging.”
It’s a small story with a big clue to how Jasmine leads.
"What I get out of leadership can only be equal or lesser to what I achieve for others. I’m often the one at the front of the room - but I see my role as making sure the people at the back are heard."
For Jack, leadership started at the school gate on his first day at HVGS.
“The captains were open, kind and funny,” he grins. “I thought they were the coolest people in the world.” Thirteen years on, he’s ready to carry that feeling forward.
“I’ve always wanted to give back – to show the community what school has given me.”
Both captains speak the language of process.
Jack frames it simply: “Leadership is a continuum. Our 2025 Captains, Lachie and Phoebe started things; we continue them; the next captains take them further.”
Jasmine agrees: “It’s about service and structure – clear goals, defined roles, and legacies you can point to: I did this; it mattered.”
They’re also students of self‑knowledge. Following a recent leadership workshop on the Social Change Model, both captains focused on self-awareness.
“People won’t get the best of me if I’m not getting the best of myself,” Jasmine says.
That means mapping strengths and weaknesses and inviting constructive feedback.
"Leadership begins when you accept who you are. If I can’t regulate my own goals, how can I help others do that? Knowing myself lets me trust my abilities and give fully."
The other value that underpins their leadership is the notion of controversy with civility. Jasmine credits her mentor, Mr Hannon, for years of morning “Devil’s Advocate” conversations.
“I enjoy civil, thought‑provoking disagreement,” she says.
“My values are things I’ve thought about deeply. We can’t erase bias, but we can evolve it.”
Jack’s rule of thumb has all the makings of a motto:
“You’re not fighting the person; you’re fighting the idea. Keep your body language open. Hear everything – even when you disagree.”
Listening is an art they practise deliberately - especially with quieter voices.
On the football pitch, Jack creates “time and space away from external factors,” stays back after training, and “silently hints” to teammates so the group adapts without spotlighting anyone.
Jasmine’s approach is to be everywhere: band, debating, public speaking, coaching junior netball, running workshops. “A diverse range of activities gives me links across the school. It keeps me grounded. I’m not just ‘the captain’; I’m another person in the group.”
Ask them where student agency should grow next, and they answer in stereo: via the Student Council.
Jasmine wants it promoted as a drop‑in space - not a daunting title.
“Sub‑teams of 2-3 students working with the right staff champions would improve communication chains,” she says.
Jack wants to end the habit of ranking and prioritising issues.
“Keep multiple streams moving over time. Leadership is a process - solutions should be too.”
Project that forward five years and Jack sees a school where students are part of decisions, not just recipients of news.
“When a fundraiser is announced, students should say, ‘I knew about that; I was part of it.’”
Jasmine wants to see purposeful, thought‑out action embedded in the calendar: deeper teen mental‑health initiatives around R U OK? Day, stronger Junior-Senior links, and student‑led workshops for Year 6-7 transitions.
They’re not waiting. During Term 4, Jasmine’s first move has been addressing the structure of collaboration.
Meetings that don’t clash between Council and the Year 12 leadership group.
Defined roles so legacies are clear and momentum survives timetables.
Jack helped to lead the World’s Greatest Shave event and is laying the groundwork for a student support network: a weekly, low‑pressure space where students and staff can simply turn up - play games, connect, talk.
They finish each other’s sentences without trying. Service and structure. Process and people. Two voices, one vision. If leadership at HVGS is a continuum, this chapter looks ready to turn the page.