Head Girl 2024. Like in previous years, Schools That Rock interview Head Leaders of High Schools in South Africa. Today we learn more about Kirsty Jackson, Head Girl 2024 from Curro Creston College, KwaZulu Natal.
Kirsty, tell us more about yourself and your leadership.
- My name is Kirsty Jackson, the Head Girl of Curro Creston College 2024. I am a person who loves to participate where I can and meet new people. Along with, I also like to learn new skills, deepen my knowledge wherever I can, and I absolutely love my country and it’s people. In 2023 I was selected as the Head Girl of my school, to lead my school along with our Head Boy. With regards to my leadership style, I am a servant leader. A servant leader is a person with character, impacting people to the best of their ability because you believe in them. lead through values and my heart, instead of hard rules and through my head. Although I am a servant leader, that doesn’t allow people to slack off. I respect you, therefore the respect and standard should be maintained to move smoothly and successfully.
What are your personal goals for the this year?
- My personal goals, as Head Girl 2024, are to improve mentally, physically, and spiritually. As humans we are our worst enemy, if I can improve myself from within, I know and believe that I can do even more amazing things. I don’t want to be the reason I didn’t fulfil my dreams. Another goal is to lead my school to excellence because we have the potential. I also want to flourish in my school grades, with at least 4 distinctions and to be accepted into UCT.
Tell us more about your goals for Creston College during your term of service?
- As Head Girl 2024, my goal for Creston College is to live out our core values; Knowledge, vision and harmony to our school body and peers. Once we do this and understand what it means, we will be on another level. I would love to make people excited to come to school, hence the reason why the prefect committee are dedicating time to invest time into different aspects to implement at Creston. My goal is to be a registered school counsellor. As said before, we are our worst enemy, so having someone you can trust, will heal that person from within and allow them to flourish at school. Another goal of mine is to implement self-defence classes for a month, free for the students. This will learn them basic skills to defend themselves in an emergency, due to rising cases of kidnappings and GBV.
What were the biggest challenges you experienced as a learner of Creston College?
- My biggest difficulty as a learner at my school will be the pressures of high school getting to your head. This can include getting yourself in the wrong friends group who does not have the best in mind for you. They might be trying to control every situation even though you know you can’t. Also studying hard for a subject just to merely pass as well as uncertainty. There aren’t many challenges I’ve experienced, but I resolve these problems by taking a step back and realising why I’m doing this, and this just motivates me more.
What stands out most to you at your school?
- The difference in personalities and backgrounds stands out the most to me about my school. Everyone is so different and special in their own ways, yet we still can get along with each other. We also feed off each other in a sense, and pick each other up when fallen. This really comes through during days like the galas and athletics days. You see people you never thought would ever be friends, getting along, laughing, and just having fun. You realise that people, except for your usual friends group, are actually really interesting. I’ve been at Creston for seven years. This school stands out to me from the rest. It is a school of safety, development, consisting of teachers who are great examples and to mould you to the best person you can be.
Who do you look up to for inspiration or mentorship?
- I look up to my parents for inspiration and leadership. These two have taught me so many valuable resources that are essential for my life, which I really believe seeps out into the way I lead. My dad studied leadership and management, so he leads people on the daily. It inspires me to see how confident he is, and how people excel when he instructs them. My mom has a business. Not only does she employ people, she also leads them to the best of their ability and tries to transform them to the best person they can be when leaving those work doors. They show me that through pressure, it is a time where you are strengthening and growing. They also inspire me through their marriage as well A strong couple who keeps God at the centre, and they are a living testament to show that with God you really can do all things. My parents keep me accountable and make me feel like an adult, which made me mature at a very young age. Maturity is essential for handling problems in high school in which you parents can’t help you with.
Kirsty, you’re a kitchen article? What are you and why?
- I would say I am a pot. This utensil can withstand great heat and cold, keeps whatever’s around them warm, holds objects together, and is a place where objects enter in their natural form, but leaves transformed.
How would your friends describe you?
- A person who is determined to make you laugh and who takes every challenging situation and sees the positive. Furthermore I am emotionally mature, extrovert, loves making new friends, God fearing, loves her family, obsessed with Disney, goal driven, hardworking, kind-hearted, confident, genuine, corrects you when you’re wrong, and trustworthy.
What motivates you to achieve your goals?
- I have two principals that I apply to my life, especially my goals. Who am I doing it for? Why am I doing it? Before I start striving to achieve my goals, I ask these two very questions, and it concentrates the reason for achieving this goal. An example will be how I strive to implement a school counsellor at Creston. I am doing it for my peers and to better themselves to be the best person I know they can be I will do this because they are my brothers and sisters, and a good servant leader betters the people they lead.
Why would you advise learners to also become part of Creston College?
- We have a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood in our school. We create harmony within our school, no matter the phase. Not only is it an emotionally safe place, but we offer facilities to allow a student to shine in areas they could never imagine. Clean, well-kept classrooms, with intellectual teachers and a great pass rate. State of the art sport facilities; astro, netball court, tennis court and a swimming pool. Choirs, marimba band, interact club, you name it. We have different departments to allow a student to develop new skills, with amazing people to support them.
Who is your favourite teacher and why?
- My choir teacher – Mrs Downham. This woman is an incredible woman of God. She leads the choir in a way to execute the best abilities we have, makes non singers sound incredible, makes you laugh, keeps you accountable and stretches you to try new things. Whenever ma’am speaks to me, I am addressed like an adult, I feel heard, understood, and comfortable around her.
Kirsty, what are your future goals?
- My future goals are mainly to be accepted into UCT, to study medicine. I strive to help people, heal them, and make them realise that they are more good people in the world that they think. Attend a great church, with lifelong friends stemming from that. Keeping healthy regarding physically, emotionally and spiritually to develop and become an unstoppable woman. Lead more people. Leadership doesn’t require you to be in a head position, but to lead the people around you. Every friend I make, I will try my best to better and transform their lives. Be financially responsible. Keep being optimistic in every area of my life and keep on being happy!
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