Josie is currently enjoying a break year after finishing at Tenterfield High School before she takes up speech pathology at Newcastle University next year. 

In the meantime she’s a familiar face around town, working at Target and volunteering at Rotary street stalls.

After participating in Youth Parliament last year while still at school, she is involved again this year as a ‘taskie’, part of the volunteer task force that guides this year’s crop of youth parliamentarians (including local girl Keeley Mooney) through the process.

“I just loved it so much last year,” Josie said.

She was part of the law and legal reform group, whose topic was medicinal marihuana. Past Youth Parliament initiatives such as a reduction in the number of hours learner drivers must rack up have passed into legislation.

While Josie is adamant that a political career is not on the horizon, she credits her enthusiasm for getting involved and having a go down to her participation in Rotary youth camps, and she’s biting at the bit to attend the next one.

With keen Rotarians Harry Bolton as a neighbour and Christine Foster as a tennis partner, Josie had little chance of escaping their encouragement to join the program, and she’s so glad she did. 

As a 14-year-old she attended RYPEN (Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment), a three-day camp at the Bornhoffen PCYC at Murwillumbah which helps participants take their first steps into adulthood.

While Josie said it’s hard to explain the transition she underwent at RYPEN, she said her mum sums it up well, saying when she collected Josie from the camp she just ‘buzzed’ and couldn’t stop talking all the way home.

Josie said it was a caring environment with a ‘camp granny’ as well as lots of Rotary volunteers of all ages, but the highlight for her were the inspirational speakers that proved through personal experience that anything can be achieved.

“They encouraged us to start becoming someone, that no one can stop you.”

Josie said the RYPEN camp, which she attended again the following year, helped her build confidence and independence, and was really a taster for the next stage, the week-long RYTS (Rotary Youth Transition Seminar) at Tyalgum Ridge Retreat for people aged 17-18 years. 

She celebrated her 17th birthday there, where there’s an emphasis on transitioning from school into post-secondary education and employment with practical advice on topics such as renting, budgeting, goal setting, career choice, self-confidence and even changing a tyre.

In addition to the practical skills the week was filled with more inspirational speakers. One that particularly sticks in Josie’s memory is a talk by Glen Innes Rotarian Ken Barker who was a last-minute fill-in.

As a member of the Rural Fire Service Ken was at the tragic car crash in Glen Innes in 2007 where two teenagers died, one being the son of a police officer who was among the first to attend the scene.

“He had us all in tears,” Josie said.

“I hope people listened to that, and thought ‘let’s not drive like a dickhead’.”

As school captain she endeavoured to bring some of the concepts she learned in camp to Tenterfield, organising a variety of activities including guest speakers who talked about life balance and perhaps looking at different ways of studying and thinking outside the box to solve problems.

Josie’s raring to get to the third stage of Rotary’s youth camps program: Rotary Youth Leadership Awards or RYLA. It’s another week-long camp, this time for those aged 19-28 years. By that time she’ll be at uni while others are working or have families, but Josie considers the personal and professional development gained through the camp will be well worth any sacrifice.

From a 14-year-old who embarked nervously on a RYPEN camp, dreading the first time she’d been separated from her family, Josie has blossomed into a walking advertisement for the Rotary youth programs. Her advice to young people in Tenterfield is “just do it”. Sponsorship by the local Rotary club covers the cost so participants only have to get to the camp and get home.

“It’s only one week of your life,” she said.

“With the RYPEN camps it’s only a day off school and the weekend. I see the ones that are the most reluctant to be at camp at the beginning are the same ones who gain the most from it.

“Each person gains something different. It’s pretty special, and to think that Rotary is doing this for youth is inspiring.”

Josie is happy to talk with anyone considering an application, and said you don’t even have to be an outstanding student, just someone who would benefit from being able to develop their personal qualities and skills. 

“Some kids think they’re too cool to do this sort of stuff, but it’s something that can change your life,” Josie said.

“It has changed mine.”

More information on Rotary’s youth programs for this district, including its international youth exchange program, is available at www.rotary9640.org.