Highlights
- Indian-Australian Aayushi Khillan wins Melbourne Award in the 'Youth Champion' category
- 20-year-old Aayushi is the youngest ever Australian selected for a governmental board
- Ms Khillan has been recognised for representing the struggles of school students during COVID-19 pandemic
At an age when most teenagers are jostling with the overwhelming task of choosing a career path, Aayushi Khillan had already sorted her future and accomplished what most 19-year-olds are putting up on their goals’ board for the next five years.
As the youngest ever Australian selected for a governmental board, the biomedical student was busy making tangible adjustments to the curriculum for school students, in her position as a student representative on the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority.
Last week her tireless efforts were recognised by the City of Melbourne when she was awarded the city’s highest accolade for her role as a ‘Youth Champion’, alongside five other community champions who have been honoured for their exemplary efforts in varied fields including digital innovation, business, essential services, community and art and culture.
Speaking to SBS Punjabi, Ms Khillan said she is thrilled beyond words and added that the acknowledgment of her role shows how important it is to get youth involved in leadership positions from a young age.
Ms Khillan working with children during a program in Nepal Source: Supplied by Aayushi Khillan
“There is a stereotype or belief that young people don’t know anything, or they are not skilled enough to be on such boards or handle such leadership positions. But I want to be a good example for people so I can change their minds,” she said.
Announcing the winners, Lord Mayor Sally Capp said this year is all about celebrating the inspiring community champions who stepped up to help their community respond to an unprecedented crisis.
“It’s been a tough year but so many people have shown care and compassion towards their fellow Melburnians. This year’s awards are all about recognising our community heroes.”
Ms Khillan whose family migrated from India when she was just three, said her journey is motivated by the imprint of her father’s outlook towards life and his aspirations for her.
“My dad is my biggest support and my mentor. The way he has achieved his goals and has been an outstanding leader in his medical field has really inspired me. Since my early years, he has always supported me to find my own passions and go for anything that I wanted.”
Speaking about her role on the VCAA board, the youth advocate said her position as the only student representative within the group was always important but became fundamental during the pandemic as students struggled to make sense of a dramatic shift to remote learning and other inequities brought about by the crisis.
Ms Khillan with her parents and younger sister. Source: Supplied by Aayushi Khillan
“It was so important during this time because students were struggling a lot. There were a lot of requirements especially for Year 12 students in terms of studies and keeping up with all the assessments and learning on online platforms.
“So, at this time it was so important for me to represent their struggles and make sure that any changes we made to the curriculum reflected that,” she said.
Ms Khillan was also instrumental in making the curriculum more malleable for Year 12 students through her efforts as she strongly advocated for pushing back the exam dates and streamlining the syllabus – suggestions which were both taken on board.
Ms Khillan (C) pictured with school children. Source: Supplied by Aayushi Khillan
“So, one of the first changes that we decided was to push back the exams. The second change stemmed from my suggestion that there is a lot of content that students are supposed to learn this year, so it might be beneficial to shorten that content.
“This facilitated a discussion between the board members, and we decided to reduce the content for Year 12 students.”
Armed with many feathers in her cap, the young champion now wants to create a niche for herself in the field of medicine while pursuing her passion for youth advocacy.
“A lot of my future passions will be very health-related. And I think COVID-19 has shown us how important health awareness is so I really hope that I can do something in that field,” she said.
Click on the player above to listen to the complete interview.
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