Year 12 students Isha and Khushbu have been part of the Multicultural Committee for the past four years and worked hard each year to increase the popularity of Multicultural Week within the St Peters Community. Not only have they successfully contributed to the growth of the week, but the Committee have been named Multicultural Queensland Awards finalists for 2019.
Multicultural Committee members Isha and Khushbu admit they never thought they were going “to get this far” with respect to the Multicultural Queensland Awards. Isha says, “We thought why not put in an application —there’s no harm in doing so. We’re over the moon to be one of the finalists. It’s quite a big achievement.”
Khushbu says, “getting the certificate felt surreal but it’s testimony to the work that Madame Sylvia Sanjurjo has put in and all the people who have been part of the Committee over the years.”
With the announcement of the winner on August 30 the Multicultural Committee is going in with quiet optimism. “We’re really happy to be one of the finalists. We’ve met the other finalists and they do an amazing job,” says Khushbu.
Acknowledging Cultural Diversity
Multicultural Week is one of the incredible events the Committee puts together throughout the year and “is incredibly important as it acknowledges the cultural diversity present in our community. It’s an immense part of St Peters and Australia as a whole,” says Isha.
Khushbu continues, “I think it was evident from the 300 volunteers and over 70 nations represented at the International Parade of Nations that we definitely need to acknowledge how multicultural St Peters is.”
Isha says the support has been overwhelming with “everyone getting into the Multicultural events. This year we’ve had record breaking number of volunteers and it’s so amazing to see everyone getting involved all the way from Prep through to Year 12.”
“The biggest highlight was when all the flags came up and were on the Chapel stairs and they started waving,” says Isha. “It was beautiful to see them all in one place and all so proud of their background.”
“The Lord’s Prayer, was a great addition to the International Parade of Nations because it acknowledges the variety of languages we have at present in our school community.”
Inspirational Old Scholar, Nkosana Mafico, returns to St Peters
Another inspiring highlight of Multicultural Week was Old Scholar, Nkosana Mafico, Multicultural Queensland Advisory Council Member. He was invited to speak during the Parade of Nations about the essence of multiculturalism. “We met Nkosana at the Multicultural Awards event,” says Isha. “He was inspiring when we heard him speak about his work and entrepreneurship.”
Khushbu agrees, “His work is truly motivating, and it motivates us to continue our passion towards multiculturalism — even post graduating.”
Nkosana says speaking at the Parade of Nations was great, “Seeing over 70 cultures being represented was fantastic."
"The Multicultural Parade was fantastic, and I think it’s a great testament to the school to be able to have a whole week dedicated to celebrating multiculturalism on campus.”