Boorowa local Maddie Duffy has been named as the national youth advisor for organisation Womn-Kind a youth led mental health organisation.
The 15 year old was selected for the position due to being a passionate advocate for making a positive impact not only in Boorowa but the Hilltops and even further afield.
Maddie is currently at boarding school in Sydney and said she is driven by her desire to empower others to share their voices and perspectives.
"I have always had a passion about mental health, especially after experiencing personal mental health challenges in the early years of high school," she said.
Maddie strongly believes that every individual has the capacity to make a difference.
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"Joining the Womn-Kind team has enabled me to use my voice and pursue my passions," she said.
"I feel very grateful for such an opportunity like this so that voices just like mine can hopefully be heard when discussing important issues like mental health, especially in youth."
Maddie said she is committed to working to build an environment where everyone can freely express themselves and contribute to creating a better world.
Womn-Kind is an organisation that is committed to elevating the voices of young people into spaces of influence.
In a recent survey held by Womn-Kind from over 500 youths across Australia, 81 percent said that they felt like they weren't good enough at least once a week and 64 percent believe that mental health is the biggest concern among their peers.
Maddie is looking forward to helping fellow youths to improve their mental health and give voices to those who don't feel they have one.
"So often it feels like we are on the outside looking in, watching conversations, work and decisions unfold right in front of our eyes, that have such and impact on out lives, communities and overall future, but we don't have a say," she said.
"These conversations are the things that shape our policies and outcomes which will impact us every day, and that is why being involved with Womn-Kind has been so powerful for me."
Speaking from her own experiences, Maddie is eager to help change the conversation to include young people.
"It's so upsetting when it feels like we are left out of the loop and that are voices are not being heard or valued," she said. "Young people have so many unique perspectives, experiences and insights that can inform and improve the decision-making processes, which is what we have the chance to do at Womn-Kind."
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