Former Student Announced as United Nations Youth Ambassador for 2021

UN Youth Australia has announced that its Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations for 2021 is Santa Maria graduate, Lucy Stronach. Lucy graduated from Santa Maria College in 2013. 

The Youth Representative program is run by UN Youth Australia in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Since leaving Santa Maria College in 2013, Lucy has maintained a strong connection with the College. Just this year, she spoke to the girls at the International Women’s Day Assembly and more recently was an adjudicator at the Public Speaking competition.

Lucy is currently studying at the University of Western Australia, finalising her dissertation as part of her Law & Society Honours. Lucy has had many years of practical experience in the field of crime and justice, particularly with the Parliament of Western Australia, Western Australian Police Force, and the Department of Corrective Services. Her work has taken her to the streets of Mumbai to fight for the empowerment of sex workers, to juvenile prisons in San Diego to assist with literacy skills in young offenders, and to the UNDP in Bangkok to work with youth leaders in the promotion of human rights and justice.

Lucy will be consulting with young people in every State and Territory across Australia and will focus on improving engagement with young people in rural communities as well as making the program more accessible to disadvantaged young Australians. In 2021, Lucy will take these ideas to the United Nations where she will advocate on behalf of Australia’s young Australians to have their voices heard.

Lucy will be asking young Australians the following question: ’What would Australia look like if young people were the key drivers of decision making?’

“This is a position I don’t take on lightly. Considering the unprecedented events of 2020, I know there has never been a time where youth representation and empowerment was needed more,” Lucy says.

More information on Lucy and the 2021 Program can be found here.

We wish Lucy well as she takes on this role.