Congratulations to the winners of the 2022 Young Voices Award, brought to you by Australian Catholic University.
With around 700 entries across the Junior, Intermediate and Senior sections, Australian students used various media to advocate on behalf of the marginalised, the dispossessed, the aged, the young, and the environment.
With the theme, ‘Media for good’ providing a large canvas, there were many creative and engaging works to choose from. It was evident that a great deal of time and passion went into all of the entries.
In selecting the winners, our judges went for those works that they felt had the strongest impact. Congratulations to the winning stories, photos and digital media entries for standing out from the crowd with some excellent storytelling and fascinating subject matter.
Thanks also to our judging panel: Michael McVeigh (Jesuit Communications head of publishing), Michele Frankeni (Australian Catholics editor), Laura Kings (Australian Catholics assistant editor – youth and education), Fr Andrew Hamilton (Australian Catholics editorial consultant), and Julian Butler SJ (Jesuit Communications staff).
The winners were:
JUNIOR
ARTICLES
Winner: Hannah Cook, ‘A picture is nothing like the real thing – don’t let life scroll by’, Year 5, Orana Catholic PS, WA
Highly Commended: Lucas Chen, ‘Behind the screen’, Year 6, Don Bosco PS, Vic; Cartia Kotzapanagiotis, ‘The dangers of the internet’, Year 6, Genazzano FCJ, Vic; Nadia Bonekamp, ‘Media gives a voice to voiceless people’, James Gray, Will you help?’, Eleanor Keeler, ‘Help just one’, Michael Monisse, ‘How social media can positively influence people’, and Lucy Phillips, ‘Ringtail rescue’, all Year 6, from Leschenault Catholic PS, WA; Eloise Mikkonen, ‘The power in being diagnosed, Year 5, Loreto Kirribilli, NSW; Eva Delavande Vasconcelos, ‘You matter, I matter, we matter’, Year 5, St Anthony’s, Clovelly, NSW; Hannah Mackellar, ‘Celebrate being You-niquely You’, Harry Hillard, ‘Good News, where are you?’, Daisy Owens, ‘Like, Follow, Connect’, Anna Kavanagh, ‘Will the media save the environment’, Eleonor McConkey, ‘Stars of Service’, Oliver Cruz, ‘Kindness overtakes tragedy’, and Shloka Tummala, ‘Back to the past: the pros and cons of technology, all Year 6, from St Joseph’s PS, Merewether, NSW; Michael Boru, ‘My culture’, Year 6, St Mary’s, Vic; Torah Chapman, ‘Climate can’t wait!’, Year 5, St Michael’s PS, Traralgon, Vic; Ella Falzon, ‘Radical reptile resources’, Matthew Molinar, ‘The vast learning videos on the immense Internet’, Owen Monares, ‘How Youtube can be used in many positive ways’, Gabriella Rinaldi, ‘The dog with a seesaw and Instagram page’, and Abigail Whiting, ‘Recognise women’s sport in the community, all Year 6, from Trinity Catholic Primary, Kemps Creek, NSW.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Winner: Emma Harris, ‘Free Speech Matters’, Year 6, Genazzano FCJ College, Kew, Vic
Highly commended: Angelina Hanna, ‘At the same rate’, Year 5, Our Lady’s Catholic PS, Craigieburn, Vic; Tom Carney, ‘Is there someone to love me?’, Angus Green, ‘The lonely waters’, and Louis Wilson, ‘The waves fight back’, all Year 6, from St Joseph’s, Merewether, NSW; Eva Trubiano, ‘Lockdown’, Year 6, St Oliver Plunkett PS, Pascoe Vale, Vic; Alexis Teuma, Disaster of online and offline bullying’, Year 6, Trinity Catholic Primary, Kemps Creek, NSW.
DIGITAL MEDIA
Winner: Stephanie Gauci, ‘Change the way you game!’, Year 6, St Oliver Plunkett PS, Vic
Highly commended: Hannah Ellard, ‘Hannah’s talk show!’, and Zoe Guan ‘Pandemic crisis’, Year 6, from Genazzano FCJ College, Vic; Archer Kingm, ‘Social media – a positive spin’, Year 6, Leschenault Catholic PS, WA; Violet Beletich, ‘War in Ukraine’, Eliza Biddle, ‘Homeless awareness’, Francesca Cade, ‘Care for kids’, Eloise Christian, ‘Mental health for children’, Mackenzie Greet, ‘Rescue dogs’, Phoebe King, ‘Podcast on the environment’, and Lucy Matthews, ‘Environment oh environment’, all Year 5, Loreto Kirribilli Junior School, NSW; Emma Webster, ‘Friendship fires’, Year 5, Our Lady Help of Christians, Qld; Stella Radich, ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices’, Year 6, Our Lady of the Way, Qld; Alexander Toma, ‘Pollution’, Year 5, Our Lady’s Catholic PS, VIC; Max Miller, ‘Eating to save the Earth’, Year 5, Sacred Heart Catholic School, Tas; Uasi Tuipeatau. ‘Break his legs Cody’, Year 5, St John the Apostle PS, Florey, ACT; Amelia Duncan, ‘Living with adversity’, Year 5, St Josephs, Clare, SA; Sophia Bernleitner, ‘Media: good or bad?’, Year 6, St Therese’s Catholic PS, Denistone, NSW; Lukas White, ‘Mother Earth calls for help’, Year 6, St Therese’s PS, NSW; Ava Spain, ‘It’s Women’s Rights’, Year 6, St Thomas More’s PS, Qld; Liam Clydesdale, ‘Endangered’, Zenon Griffiths, ‘Global warming’, Isaac Moran, ‘Disability in sport’, and Teddy Pasvolsky, ‘War’, all Year 6, St Joseph’s PS Merewether, NSW; and, Alyssa Micallef, ‘Men and women are all the same. Please stop playing this discrimination game!’, Year 6, St Peter’s Primary, Vic.
INTERMEDIATE
ARTICLES
Winner: Makayla Lawrence, ‘Light in the World’, Year 9, St Pius X HS, Adamstown, NSW
Highly commended: Tara Noronha, ‘A tree with a purpose’, and Charlotte Rowe, ‘How Cabra’s green team will change the way you think about the environment’, both Year 7, from Cabra Dominican Collegem Cumberland Park, SA; Sarah Zammit, ‘Not just men’, Year 9, Loreto Normanhurst, NSW; Anika Evans, ‘If we are equal, why do we not have equality’, Year 9, Seton Catholic College, Spearwood, WA; Daisy Breasley, ‘New people, new country, new life’, Audrey-Rose Budden, ‘Six Letters. One Word’, Lucy Emmett, ‘Homelessness’, Anais Fraai, ‘A journey through faith’, and George Wroe, ‘The preservation of our environment’, all Year 9, from St Pius X High School, Adamstown, NSW; Erin Agatep, ‘Not so pretty poverty’, Trisha Desai, ‘Hope is never gone, it’s just lost’, Erin Ferran, ‘When God talks’, Emmanuel Siro, ‘There are no winners’, all Year 7, and Catherine Jolly, ‘Our diversity is our strength’, Year 8, all from Thomas Carr College, Tarneit, Vic.
PHOTOGRAPH
Winner: Shaun D’Almeida, ‘Environmental awareness’, Year 8, Thomas Carr College, Tarneit, Vic
Highly commended: Keira Purches, ‘Yarra rubbish’, Year 9, St Francis Xavier College, Berwick, Vic; Alana Di Sipio, ‘Bird cruelty’, William Horvatic, ‘Bullying’, and
Elisha Portelli, ‘I care about Woman’s safety, do you?’, all Year 8, Thomas Carr College, Tarneit, Vic.
DIGITAL MEDIA
Winner: Phoebe McClory, ‘The drink of knowledge’, Year 9, St Pius X HS, Adamstown, NSW
Highly commended: Tayah Borysiuk, ‘Motor neuron disease’, Sophia Daly, ‘Female crime fighters’, Hamish Dingwell, ‘The Other Side of the Story’, Sam, ’84-year-old helps refugees’, Charlie Harris, ‘The future is feminist’, Sebastian Higham, ‘Gendered toys... they aren’t here to play’, Chante McLean, ‘Commotion in the ocean’, Chloe Monteleone, ‘Football... let’s hear it for the girls’, Lola Sanchez, ‘Mental Health Matters’, and Emma Wynne, ‘Beating pastic pollution!’, all Year 8, from Cabra Dominican College, Cumberland Park, SA; Monique Travers, ‘No mercy’, Year 8, Loreto Normanhurs, NSW; Maggie Blake, ‘Covid concerns and solutions’ and Talia Carter, ‘A slice of Loyola life – a Covid perspective’, both Year 7, Loyola College, Watsonia, Vic; Shahista Aryal, ‘Future’, Year 7, Penola Catholic College, Broadmeadows, Vic; Ava Barboutas, ‘No longer my home’, and Leila Bower, ‘Spreading awareness through art podcast’, both Year 9, St Pius X HS, Adamstown, NSW; Sophia Shidiak, ‘Use the media for good even in adulthood!’, Year 7, St Ursula’s, Kingsgrove, NSW; and Theodore Matthews, ‘Connecting people during the pandemic, Year 8, Thomas Carr College, Tarneit, Vic.
SENIOR
ARTICLES
Winner: Chloe Schaller, ‘Her daughter for evermore’, Year 10, Avila College, Mount Waverley, Vic.
Highly commended: Ariane Saywell, ‘Restoring our faith in the future’, Year 11, Loreto Kirribilli, NSW; Abbey Lucas, ‘“We’ve boundless plains to share” – then why don’t we?’, Year 12, Mount St Joseph’s Girls College, Altona, Vic; Linuki Mendis, ‘Respect’, and Ashwini Satheeskumar, ‘The Australian dream’, both Year 11, St Francis Xavier College, Beaconsfield, Vic.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Winner: Paranoiac Contradictions, Year 11, St Columbas, Strathmore, Vic.
Highly commended: Keiran Weaver, ‘The harm, the destruction! The green’, Year 11, St Brendan's College, Yeppoon, Qld.
DIGITAL MEDIA
Winner: Anjela Zotos, ‘Equality for all’, Year 10, St Francis Xavier College, Beaconsfield, Vic.
Highly commended: Danneeka Jayasuriya, ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean’, Liandra Wijeyeratne, ‘#StopRuiningMyFuture’, and Ren Zuniga, ‘Animatic’, all Year 10, and Abbey Young, ‘This is mental!’, Year 11, all from St Francis Xavier College, Beaconsfield, Vic; Isobella Evans, ‘Resonance your voice’, Year 12, St Joseph’s School, Stanthorpe, Qld.
JUNIOR WINNING ENTRIES
INTERMEDIATE WINNING ENTRIES
SENIOR WINNING ENTRIES