Allendale East Area School 2022 graduate Luke Bald was one of 25 rural and remote graduates to participate in Rural Inspire’s National Rural Youth Ambassador Forum in Canberra late last year.

Mr Bald’s acceptance into the National Forum reflected his commitment to the rural forum he had taken part in alongside Allendale East Area School student Ava Gollan-Grosvenor, as well as the potential that colleagues and Rural Inspire staff saw in him to excel in such an environment.

The forum involved exploring key areas of interest relating to rural life and education.

Mr Bald said he was passionate about rural education and ensuring that every rural student has an equal opportunity to succeed in what they wish to pursue.

“Being a part of that experience was amazing and connecting with all those students because while we all did very separate work in our own states, all of our main ideas and issues were actually the exact same,” he said.

“Within all of our schools we identified that we have teacher shortages, a lack of subject selections and also mental health support is not as great.

“One of the main concepts was schools collaborating together to deliver curriculum programs so within our area we could have up to 10 schools working together, with students participating in subjects to get the required prerequisites for university.

“I am glad I did apply for it because coming back and hearing what everyone said I would have been kicking myself if I did not.”

Mr Bald accompanied Member for Barker Tony Pasin on a tour of parliament house while the participants were there for the day.

“It was really interesting to learn the history behind parliament house and why it was built the way it was in Canberra,” he said.

“It is not something you get to do every day so that part was pretty cool.

“Then we went into Question Time which I actually loved, probably one of my highlights of the trip because you see politicians arguing on television but to be in the room and experience it, it is quite incredible to realise how passionate they are about it.”

Participants then presented their ideas to Minister for Early Childhood Education and Minister for Youth Anne Aly and Minister for Regional Development and Local Government and Territories Kristy McBain .

“That was quite a big meeting, that was actually in a boardroom in parliament house at a round table and within that we presented our ideas and were questioning ministers on decisions and why they could not implement it,” he said.

“It was quite powerful because it is not every day you get to sit in parliament house and actually question these ministers that make the decisions.

“We presented to the Regional Education Commissioner Fiona Nash.

“She was quite amazing to speak to, took in everything that we spoke about and loved it all, she actually could not believe how much support we miss being in a rural setting.”

Mr Bald said the experience strengthened his desire to work in education within a rural setting.

“I have stood back and looked at what rural students actually miss out on, and I want to provide the best education I can for these guys so they can achieve what they want to do,” he said.

“I do not even want to go to Adelaide for my university, I am looking at doing all that externally just because I think the country has so much to offer.

“It was just an amazing opportunity and if anyone else gets the chance to do it, I highly suggest and recommend doing the program.

“Even if you do not get the chance to do the program at a national level, doing it within South Australia also brings about the same opportunities and experiences.”

Mr Bald is hoping to attend university this year and complete a Bachelor of Education before potentially earning a Master of Public Policy.

“A Master of Public Policy will enable me to work as someone who can create policies or be like a policy analysist and I can focus that on an educational level,” he said.

“It would give me the opportunities to work as key personnel in the Department of Education.

“My dream would be to work with kids in programs similar to this and provide them with what they need.

“I think the voice of a rural student is very important and I feel sometimes a lot of decisions are made without speaking to the kids that it impacts the most.”

Mr Bald had a meeting with the chief executive at the Department for Education Martin Westwell when he was in Adelaide for the state forum.

“To sit there and give him our ideas and for him to take them in is quite special,” he said.

“He said to us ‘I really hope I can continue to work with you because you are the people that it impacts, you are the students that are impacted by the decisions we make’ and that resonated with me quite a lot.

“It made me think I would actually like to work in a position like that where I can support those students to have their own voice within education.”