Captains 2025: Getting to know our leaders

Chloe Scudamore:

What traits do you believe are most important in leadership, and why?
"Good leaders are empathetic, with a clear vision and good communication skills. They can adapt to changes, make decisions confidently, and stay honest and trustworthy. Resilience helps them stay focused through challenges. These traits help leaders guide and inspire their teams to succeed."

How do you hope to be remembered by your fellow students?
"I hope to be remembered as someone who was kind, supportive, and always willing to help others. I want to be seen as someone who encouraged teamwork, stayed positive through challenges, and made a genuine effort to connect with everyone. My goal is to leave a lasting impression of respect, friendship, and the desire to make everyone feel included and valued."

What do you want to do after graduation? Do you have a career path or goals in mind?
鈥淎fter graduation, my plan is to attend university and study nursing, with the goal of eventually completing my degree in midwifery. I鈥檝e already completed my Certificate II and III in Health and now in the midst of a traineeship, which provides me with a solid foundation to reach my goal. I am deeply passionate about helping others and leading a team, and I鈥檓 excited to continue developing these qualities as I pursue my career in healthcare."


Thomas Orszulak:

What traits are most important to leadership and why?
鈥淭o me, leadership is about service, leading by example, and creating an environment where everyone can thrive. I鈥檝e always believed that strong leadership comes from being engaged in the community, staying positive, and inspiring those around me. A great leader doesn鈥檛 just direct; they listen, support, and empower. I strive to be that kind of leader鈥攕omeone who brings people together, fosters resilience, and motivates others to push beyond their limits. At the core, leadership is about service, vision, and making a meaningful impact on those around me.鈥�

How do you hope to be remembered by your fellow students?
"I want to be the person who lifts others up鈥攁 source of energy, encouragement, and positivity. Whether through a kind word, a shared laugh, or pushing others to see their potential, I strive to inspire confidence and boost morale. A true "hype man" who makes people feel valued, capable, and motivated to chase their own greatness."

What do you want to do after graduation? Do you have a career path or goals in mind?
鈥淢y goal is to be accepted into the Australian Defence Force Academy through the pathway of Officer Aviation 鈥� Pilot. Upon graduation, I will have completed my bachelor鈥檚 degree in business as well as my training to be an officer within the Royal Australian Air Force. This path allows me to combine my passion for aviation with leadership and strategic thinking. Serving in the ADF as a pilot is not just a career choice for me鈥攊t鈥檚 an opportunity to challenge myself, develop resilience, and contribute to something greater than myself.鈥�

Captains 2025: Getting to know our leaders

Sheldon West:

What traits do you believe are most important to leadership, and why?
"I believe the most significant aspect of leadership is not just being successful in serving the community, but being approachable. To me, being an approachable leader means that every individual within the school community feels comfortable in expressing their issues to us. This emphasis of approachability works to simultaneously develop peoples trust that we, as the leaders of the MD网爆门, will actually fulfil their needs. Additionally, I feel as though simply being an approachable leader will open up many more opportunities to serve the community."

What job, activity or duty are you most excited to undertake in 2025?
"I am a strong believer in 鈥淓mpower over Power鈥� which simply means as a college captain, I believe in empowering other students to facilitate growth and leadership. As a result, I hope to be remembered by my fellow students as someone who unifies the MD网爆门 community, and empowers students, which will ultimately strengthen school spirit."

How do you hope to be remembered by fellow students? 
"In 2025, I am most eager to serve the college and community and be an inspirational, supportive role model for all students at MD网爆门. Furthermore, I am honoured to be part of a truely incredible team of College Captains, and I am grateful that we, together, have the pleasure of leading not only our cohort, but the entire College though a memorable and undoubtably, successful year."

Phoebe Turner:

What led to you to nominate for College Captain?
"I decided to nominate for college captain because I love leadership. I find it challenging, exciting and I enjoy pushing myself further through taking that leap for a better me. I am determined to lead in confidence and passion, and I am thrilled to pass on my wisdom from five years of lived experience to younger grades. I am a strong believer that if students view school with an optimistic and positive approach then so many more incredible opportunities are brought to light."

Do you have any big goals or things you hope to accomplish in the role?
"I want to build a stronger school culture, through encouraging more attendance at events such as sports carnivals and ANZAC day and aware days. Involvement is so important to create a positive atmosphere in which MD网爆门 students can have more fun and grow a stronger connection with each other."

What do you want to do after graduation? Do you have a career path or goals in mind?                                                                 
"After graduation I am planning on enlisting in the Australian Army to become an officer. To do this I will apply for The Royal Military College, Duntroon to complete my training. This career path includes that similar to the reasonability鈥檚 of a school captain鈥� leadership, service, integrity and respect. Therefore, I am incredibly grateful for the honour of being your 2025 college captain, through which I will gain such pivotal experience for my future endeavours."

Lissadel Burgess:

What traits do believe are most important to leadership, and why?
"People don't remember what you do, they remember how you made them feel'
I recently heard this quote and I believe it summaries how important sociability and connection are in leadership. This is why one of our main goals as captains this year is to be friendly and present within the college, and foster school spirit."

What job, activity or duty are you most excited to undertake in 2025?
"I am so excited to continue being an involved member of MD网爆门 and finding new ways to serve our community. I'm also looking forward to public speaking opportunities as this is something I am very passionate about."

What is something your fellow students might not know about you? 
"I am a champion highland dancer and I travel all over the world! In the last few years I've had the privilege of performing and competing in Scotland, Switzerland, America, New Zealand and all over Australia. In 2023 I even had the honor of dancing in front of the royal family at the Braemar Highland Gathering.."

Aidan McKenzie:

What traits do you believe are most important to leadership, and why?
"While many different traits are vital to good leadership, several key values that I believe are most important include integrity, determination, communication and courage. I feel that these values provide a strong foundation to develop a personalised and effective leadership style."

How do you hope to be remembered by your fellow students?
"I hope to be remembered by my fellow peers as a genuine, supportive and respected leader that can have positive influence on the school culture, traditions and cohort legacy. I also hope to be remembered as someone who could show resilience through challenges, and embrace the school motto of 鈥淕rit, Growth, MD网爆门."

How have other College Captains inspired you?
"The leadership and dedication of previous College Captains has inspired me to embrace this role and appreciate the opportunity for impact within the community that it provides. I am motivated by previous captains to follow their example to create a welcoming, engaging and collaborative environment that encourages the success of all students."