20 Jun 2025
A lucky group of Year 11 students recently had the incredible opportunity to attend the Stand Tall Youth Leadership Conference in Sydney, thanks to the generous support of the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW.
Held annually at the ICC Sydney, Stand Tall brings together over 6,000 high school students from across the state with one powerful aim—to inspire young people to make positive choices, build resilience, and find strength in the face of adversity. The event featured a line-up of dynamic speakers who shared their personal stories, each one offering a message of hope, courage, and determination.
Students heard from an inspiring group of speakers including:
- The Hon. Rose Jackson MLC, NSW Minister for Water, Housing, Homelessness, Mental Health, and Youth.
- Jazz Thornton, international mental health advocate and filmmaker.
- Daniel Flynn, co-founder of Thankyou, a social enterprise helping to end global poverty.
- Leila Abdallah, founder of ‘i4Give Day,’ sharing her powerful story of forgiveness and love.
- Matt Purcell, creator of Social Kung Fu, Australia’s only verbal self-defence program.
- Michael Crossland, cancer survivor and motivational speaker whose story captivated and uplifted the audience.
Entertainment was just as impressive, with performances by Timomatic and 16-year-old Olympic Pro Breaker J-Attack, who wowed the crowd with his talent and energy.
In addition to the conference, students enjoyed some incredible highlights, including a chance to experience the magic of the VIVID Festival. For French exchange student Joséphine, seeing Sydney Harbour, the Opera House, and the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge for the first time was a particularly memorable moment.
The trip concluded with a tour of ENGIE Stadium at the Sydney Showgrounds, where students enjoyed morning tea and learned about the major events held there, such as the Sydney Royal Easter Show. They also explored exciting career opportunities in event management and agriculture and discovered the many scholarships available through the Royal Agricultural Society Foundation.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW for their generous support. This was a truly eye-opening and unforgettable experience that has left a lasting impact on our students.
The Stand tall Sydney excursion was an amazing experience. I got to listen to great stories and experiences from people who have been through many hardships and life changing moments. Michael Crossland was my personal favourite speaker. He talked about his life experiences that changed him as a person, which I was so inspired by. The next day we got the opportunity to visit Engie Stadium and see the behind the scenes of the AFL, while gaining insight into many possible career paths. Overall, this excursion changed my perspective and taught me to go after every opportunity even if you think it is out of reach.
Lilly
I had the chance with some other students from year 11 to go to the stand tall event in Sydney. We had a beautiful experience there!
The event was really interesting. The speakers all had stories and life journeys, each more impressive than the last.
This allowed us to reflect on our own vision of life and future.
It was really motivating to listening to the speakers experience through the years, how they never give up and they are here to stand up for what they think it is right.
I am happy that I experienced this event, it had very well organization with a very good atmosphere and a variety of participants on stage.
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It was my first time in Sydney, and I felt really impressed and just love the city.
I am very grateful that we went to The Opera House and The Harbour Bridge. It was like a dream for me.
Thanks a lot Miss Wright, Miss Ong and David for this trip. And of course, thanks Narrabri high.
Joséphine
