2024 Reverend John Leaver Award Recipient
As a 2024 Reverend John Leaver Award recipient, St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School student, Axel, was recently invited to present a short speech on the topic of “leaving it better” at the Ecumenical Schools Australia (ESA) Leaver Award Day in Melbourne, alongside other 2024 Year 11 recipients from ESA member schools.
Reverend John Leaver was a key figure in the establishment of ESA and was awarded the Order of Australia in 2000 for his services to education and his work in the community.
Each year, through the Reverend John Leaver Award, ESA honours a Year 11 student from each ESA member school who demonstrates characteristics similar to those of Reverend John Leaver: a demonstrated spirit of compassion; resilience – a sturdy resolve in the face of obstacles; the ability to connect with others, including those of other generations; and broad-mindedness, like that which brings together people of different denominations and different faiths.
Axel, now in Year 12, was honoured as the St Paul’s 2024 Reverend John Leaver Award recipient late last year.
Participants in the ESA Leaver Award Day also enjoyed a presentation from The Big Issue and an art workshop with St Paul’s Chaplain, Reverend Lynton Allan.
ESA is a network of independent, co-educational schools that share the common goal of continuously improving the education provided to students.