Captain's Call: Kilvington Grammar School co-captains Lauren Rowley and Charan Naidoo

Lauren Rowley and Charan Naidoo have worked as Kilvington Grammar School’s co-captains this year, sharing the role to lead positive change within the school. Both are keen to work and travel overseas once they finish their studies.

Why did you both want to run for school captain?

As students who have been at Kilvington for some time, we had both always looked up to the school captains as role models. Their leadership and the positive changes they implemented in the school were things both of us had always strived to be a part of in our later years.

What’s the best part about being co-captains?

Sharing a leadership role with someone else has been a truly rewarding experience in that we have both been able to better understand the community, from two perspectives. Some of our leadership responsibilities, challenging at times, have been made that little bit easier by having someone to share them with.

Do you ever disagree or are you like-minded when it comes to captaincy decisions?

In complete honesty, you couldn’t find a more disparate pair. We both come from different backgrounds and bring something different to the table. We don’t have disagreements as much as we have discussions and that is why we are such an excellent team.

What do you think makes a good leader?

We both consider a good leader to be eloquent, creative and, crucially, to be willing to both put forth an idea and follow through on its execution. Additionally, in our shared view, a good leader must be able to demonstrate persistence in order to get the job done.

Is there a world or Australian leader in business, politics or life that you look up to?

Both of us look up to several world leaders, though in different occupations. In Lauren’s view, Australian actor Samuel Johnson is a really noteworthy contributor to the community. His off-screen fight against breast cancer, such a harmful disease, inspires her. Charan looks up to British Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn, whose authenticity and true commitment to progressive politics is something that is rare nowadays.

What are your future plans after school?

Charan: I am planning to study arts at the University of Melbourne next year, with a double major in politics and economics. My goal is to join the Department of Foreign Affairs and represent Australia’s interests overseas.

Lauren: I am not certain of what exactly I would like to pursue but am planning to study arts or international studies at Melbourne University or RMIT. Above all, I want to travel the world and – regardless of how big or small – make a lasting impression on it.

Kilvington Grammar School  2 Leila Road Ormond ●9578 6231 ●kilvington.vic.edu.au