For somebody of such a relatively young age, 2013 Sheldon College graduate, Madina Mohmood, has already achieved enviable success and has contributed significantly and selflessly to the community.
Madina attended Sheldon College from 2009 to 2013 and in Year 12 was the Sheldon College Female School Captain and the recipient of the Sheldon College Citizenship Award. This award was just the tip of the iceberg for what was to follow.
Since graduating from Sheldon College, Madina has made great strides in her endeavours to promote awareness in cultural diversity and empower young women within the community. She has completed a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Dual Degree at the University of Queensland (UQ), following her interests in human rights.
Madina’s tireless commitment has also seen her recognised with the following accolades and accomplishments:
- Australian Red Cross Queensland Youth Advisory Committee Member
- Winner of 7 News overall 2019 Queensland Young Achiever of the Year and Women Empowering Others Awards
- Redlands Coast Australia Day Awards Young Citizen of the Year 2019
- Queensland Multicultural Awards Finalist 2018
- Young Achiever Awards Finalist 2018
- Hajera Bibi Seedat Award for Emerging Muslimah Leader of the Year Nominee 2018
- University of Queensland President of the Year Finalist 2017
- University of Queensland Pro Bono Award 2016
- World Vision Queensland Youth Ambassador 2014
Sheldon College is very proud to have been part of Madina’s journey to develop into a change maker for the community and to see her on the International stage in community development and social enterprise with her dedicated work.
In 2014 Madina was selected as World Vision Queensland Youth Ambassador, travelling to Rwanda and learning from families experiencing poverty and injustice before speaking with high school students across Queensland about her experiences. Upon returning to Australia, Madina addressed the Sheldon College Assembly where she delivered a moving and thought-provoking speech, where she noted it was important for Australians to recognise the importance of diversity in society.
Madina and three of her colleagues started the University of Queensland Afghan Student Association (AfSA UQ) to support and assist the needs of Afghan students. She held the position of President in October 2016 to November 2017 and her work with AfSA has resulted in increased discussions around cultural diversity, inclusion and improved representation of Afghan culture in the media. She continues to advance the AfSA initiatives beyond the UQ community in her current role as Youth Representative at the Queensland Afghan Community Association.
When explaining her journey, Madina said, “I have been really interested in learning about different cultures, religions, beliefs and perspectives since I graduated from high school and I mainly pursued this by working with diverse communities. If someone had told me back in high school that I would become actively involved in the Afghan and Muslim communities in particular, I would have been very surprised because I didn’t identify with those communities at all when I was younger. The more I have engaged with diverse communities though, the more self-reflective I have become. I question my own beliefs more and I appreciate how my humanitarian values have been influenced by my identity as a ‘third culture kid’.”
When reflecting on her time spent at Sheldon College, Madina said “I think the supportive relationships between students and their teachers is a definite strength of the College and one that has been so important for my own personal growth and journey. Another would be the College’s support of different career paths. Along with high academic standards, Sheldon also provides so many brilliant extracurricular opportunities in the arts, sport, traineeships etc.”
Madina still has many strong connections within her local Redlands community and loves seeing what her former classmates are up to, finding it fascinating to see how their paths have diverged in the past 6 years. “We are still finding our place in the world, each of us on our own unconventional path and even though we are all doing such different things, I think we have a strong educational foundation that will help us no matter where our journey takes us.”
Madina would love to see a civics education program added to the high school curriculum in Australia, stating that “young people are feeling increasingly disillusioned by politics and are either disengaging completely or turning to activism, protesting and social media to voice their concerns. I think the education system needs to respond to this by educating and involving young people in the democratic process so that they are prepared and informed by the time they reach the legal voting age.”
“It is wonderful to see Madina recognised for all of her courageous work, and to celebrate her selfless commitment to enabling change in the lives of young women. We look forward to seeing her achievements accumulate as she continues to inspire and empower” said Dr Lyn Bishop, Principal and CEO.
There is no doubt that Madina has the ability to continue to make a difference, as she continues to advocate correct media representations of cultural differences in a non-stereotypical and sensationalised way. She is an inspiring community ambassador who truly epitomises all that is good and great in the young women of today and for that we applaud her.
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