Derry Credit Union - Leadership Award winners

Jessica Nicholl: Winner

Jessica was nominated for a Leadership Award for numerous reasons.

She has grown from a shy, timid girl to a natural leader as a result of her experiences with the cross-community group TBUC. As one of twenty TBUC ambassadors for N Ireland for the past four years, she has briefed Stormont ministers and officials at the Education Authority about the issues affecting young people today.

Recently she travelled to Croatia and Bosnia to represent NI as part of this group. There she met with youth groups to share experiences and ideas to inspire the next generation to make change and be the difference their country needs. She met with mayors and ambassadors to voice her opinions of peacebuilding there and at home.

She is now a TBUC mentor for new ambassadors joining the programme to help them to develop their leadership skills.

Jessica joined her local youth club at the Vale Centre when she was just aged 12 and became a youth leader, working at various events and summer schemes. Thanks to Jessica, the centre now has a successful Off the Streets programme with 50 members.

This leadership role has taught her the importance of inclusivity, as she believes all young people of all backgrounds, cultures and abilities should access the same opportunities. She was also recently nominated for the Good Relations Youth Award for under 25's.

As a leader, she has completed training in First Aid, Safeguarding, Child Protection, Disability Sport NI Autism and sports coaching, and completed judging courses and courses in sign language. She has coached gymnastics for five years to children of different abilities. Her coaching experience has earned her the Millennium Volunteer Award and the Pramerica Spirit of Community Award.

Jessica has also contributed to her school community, holding multiple positions of leadership in school and sports teams where she was captain, Junior Deputy Head girl, Eco and Bus Monitor, Class Councillor and a Wellness Ambassador.

Peer Mentors: Winners

Teacher Ms O’Kane nominated the Peer Mentors of St Columb’s College for the Leadership Award. She explained that peer mentoring is an essential component of the school’s pastoral system and the pupils who assume this responsibility are hardworking, enthusiastic and dedicated to improving the lives of their younger counterparts.

To become a mentor, pupils are required to complete an application form and successfully complete mentor training which includes tasks to develop listening skills, understanding child protection procedures, leadership, and team work. The team’s first duty was to develop and lead activities during the school summer scheme. Mentors gave up their time to work with incoming Year 8 pupils and began to forge links with their mentees and families ahead of transition. At the end of August, they assisted in the Year 8 Induction programme, helping pupils settle in to the school community.

Two or three mentors are assigned to a Year 8 class. They attend meetings where they discuss concerns raised and plan lessons with a pastoral focus which they deliver to their classes.

Leadership Winners Peer Mentors of St Columb's College with Conán Doherty, Cara McGeehan and John Akhionbare

They are responsible for gathering resources, liaising with form tutors, and ensuring that difficult issues like bullying and mental health are discussed. They encourage boys to talk about their feelings and act as role models in this area. They promote the use of listening ear teachers and counselling by encouraging open discussion, something which is particularly difficult for boys.

They have represented the school at several functions including the Year 8 Tree Planting Ceremony, Christmas Carol Service, where they escorted their form class to and from Pennyburn Chapel, and Open Evening where they explained the scheme and answered questions. Mentors also helped to organise events for Anti-bullying week.

They have carried out fundraising activities for Trocaire, organising a collection from each class to purchase a Christmas gift. Every mentor has played their part in making the school a vibrant active community where pupils are not afraid to discuss fears or concerns. Ms O’Kane believes they are the school leaders of today and the community leaders of tomorrow.

Kaycee Deery: runner-up

An active member of the St Mary’s College Chemistry Club, Kaycee was nominated for representing her school, Derry and N Ireland at both local and national Science competitions. As a member of the club, Kaycee has won numerous accolades and prizes, including Junior Science Category Prize at the Northern Ireland Young Innovators Competition in 2022. But this and the other awards she has won are not the reason why she was nominated for a Leaderhips Award.

Her nominator, Mrs Blanking, explains that Kaycee is humble and often genuinely amazed at her own success. She writes, ‘she does not allow her success to go to her head and she always acknowledges any assistance afforded to her. She is open and honest and willing to give of her time freeling in order to help others.’ At the club, Kaycee mentors newer members and assists them with their projects and helps them settle in. She is always willing to carry out whatever tasks are asked of her, including presenting her projects to visitors to the school such as during the recent Open Day for prospective new pupils and their parents/Guardians

Her success in reaching the finals of the BTYSSTE competition in 2022, resulted in an invitation to present her work to various audiences including academics at Limerick University. She was interviewed for BBC Northern Ireland during the BTYSTE 2023 Competition and did so confidently.

Mrs Blanking explains, ‘In the time that I have known Kaycee (two years) she has grown and developed in confidence and ability. She is capable of communicating confidently and effectively with a wide range of people from all walks of life including her peers, Teachers, Judges, members of the business community and academia and the general public. She is a terrific role model and ambassador for Science and for girls. She enjoys disseminating her scientific knowledge and findings to others and does so with much enthusiasm. She is a very positive, sharing and unselfish person and possesses a 'can do' attitude on to others.

SistersIN: Runners-up

A group of 10 pupils at St Cecilia’s College deliver the SistersIN leadership programme – a female leadership project committed to empowering young women. Th group use a holistic evidence-based approach, offering education and training as well as opportunities to engage in leadership initiatives and building aspiration through exposure. They were nominated by St Cecilia’s College teacher Ms Conaty.

This year, the ten members have had the benefit of exposure to female leadership across a wide range of professions. They were matched up with a mentor and the pupils were responsible for setting up monthly meetings with their mentors to discuss challenges facing women in leadership, their career pathways, and any tips for a young female leader.

They chose three projects to focus on this year: Foyle Food Bank, ‘Dress for Success’ in conjunction with Foyle Women’s Aid, and Healing Hearts with Foyle Hospice.

All of the SistersIN members developed their self-confidence and courage, and faced difficult situations to ensure their projects were successful. They followed through on their goals in a calm professional manner. And they did it all as a team, women empowering women. Ms Conaty writes, ‘At the average age of 17 these girls are the future female leaders flying the flag high for Derry and the Northwest of Ireland.’