In 2023, we established the inaugural JPC VET student of the Year. Our current Year 12 student, Sienna Gersentberg was the recipient of this award. Sienna completed her Certificate II in Active Volunteering, which many of our JPC Senior students are currently working towards. She shares her achievements below.

I initially got into active volunteering as a way to strengthen my university portfolio however, as I began giving up my time, I realised how vital volunteers really are to the wider community and the role they play in maintaining various organisations. As a part of the active volunteering program, you are required to complete 20 hours of volunteer work. I completed these hours working with my baseball club Rebels, running canteens, and helping organise junior and senior award presentations. This allowed me to connect with a community that I truly value and brought to my attention how hard everyday people work to support things they enjoy.

Active volunteering is a great way to further your connection with the people, causes and organisations you are passionate about. Not only this, but the qualification is highly appealing to universities and can aid your application as it showcases your ability to participate in the wider community and connect with others who hold similar interests. It can be the factor that influences a university’s choice, especially if you are interested in a highly competitive course. While I initially entered to course for academic reasons the work, I completed in the community provided a life lesson on giving back and being selfless. Even though I have received my certificate, I continue to volunteer in the community so that I can continue to give back.