11 August 2023

Snowy Monaro students feature in new children's book

| Gail Eastaway
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Jindabyne students have contributed to a new children's book.

Cooma University Centre (CUC) education co-ordinator Han Worsley with some of the Jindabyne students who contributed to a new children’s book. Photo: CUC.

Community members across the Snowy Monaro have thrown their support behind the Cooma University Centre’s (CUC) Illustration Competition, in which local students in Years 2 to 6 had the opportunity to be featured in a real children’s book.

This book will celebrate 10 years of CUC Snowy Monaro providing valuable support to students in the region.

More than 350 entries were received from 12 primary schools across Cooma, Jindabyne, Adaminaby, Bombala, Berridale, Bredbo, and Nimmitabel.

Most of these talented young students participated in ‘illustrator sessions’ with the CUC at their school, and the CUC staff were impressed with the enthusiasm and creativity shown when the pupils were asked to draw what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Entries included farmers, Jet Ski riders, mountain bike instructors, mechatronic engineers, and brain surgeons, just to name a few!

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This project was set up by CUC Snowy Monaro to ensure local children see themselves reflected in career conversations from a young age.

CUC education co-ordinator Han Worsley said, “You can’t be what you can’t see, and country children should be given the same exposure to careers as their metro counterparts.

“The picture book created from the winning and highly commended illustrations, called I Want to Be … will be provided free to school and community libraries across the region, and serve as a valuable learning resource to encourage Snowy Monaro kids to dream big – whether that dream involves university or not,” Han said.

After a shortlist was created by CUCSM staff, community judges Glenys Maddren (president, Rotary Club of Cooma), Emily Perkins (CUCSM student ad qualified illustrator) and Wendy McDougall (photographer and volunteer, Raglan Gallery) selected the 15 winning students, listed below.

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These winners will see their whole illustration and name on a full page of the book.

An additional 43 students were named highly commended and feature via small illustrations in the book.

  • Ruby Huynh, Jindabyne Central School
  • Morrison Lyons, Bredbo Public School
  • Seth Lennon, Cooma Public School
  • Arabella Andrews, St Patrick’s Parish School Cooma
  • Kale Paxton, Berridale Public School
  • Gunara Abeysinghe, St Patrick’s Parish School Cooma
  • Victoria Groves, Snowy Mountains Christian School
  • Quinn Lawley, St Patrick’s Parish School Cooma
  • Benjamin Kamenyitsky, Snowy Mountains Christian School
  • Zara Preston, St Patrick’s Parish School Cooma
  • Marshall Pirozzi, Jindabyne Central School
  • Clara Stefanetto, St Patrick’s Parish School Cooma
  • Jackson Sweeney, St Patrick’s Parish School Cooma
  • Riley Hall, Bombala Public School
  • Sam Dowe, Cooma Public School

These students can expect to receive their prizes and their own copy of I Want to Be … through their school very soon.

“We can’t wait to drop copies of this wonderful book to our local centres, and encourage other community groups who may wish to receive a copy to contact us via [email protected] to express interest,” Han said.

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