HE hasn’t boarded the plane yet, but Toby McInnes already knows his upcoming trip will be an amazing experience.
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The Muswellbrook teenager was selected to participate in a Positive Education Leadership Summit at St Peters School in Adelaide.
Courtesy of Where There’s a Will, 18 senior students from Upper Hunter schools will fly to the event on Thursday, February 23.
Toby’s mother Rachel said she thought it was wonderful the foundation included pupils from all Upper Hunter schools in the journey.
“I know [Where There’s a Will] is bigger in Scone, but it’s not as big here in Muswellbrook,” Mrs McInnes said.
“I just love that it’s not just the Scone community – it’s the Upper Hunter community.”
Where There’s a Will is a not-for-profit charity established in 2016, which exists to address mental health issues facing the community.
The McInnes family had been inspired by the story of Pauline and Hilton Carrigan, who founded the organisation after their son took his own life in 2015.
“They’ve channeled their grief into a positive, and to turning other kids’ lives around, and to nurture young men and young women into becoming better versions of themselves,” Mrs McInnes said.
Toby was interested to hear he was accepted into the program, but it wasn’t until the day after that it became clear what he would be a part of.
The 16-year-old said he was honoured to be a part of the program.
“I’m very privileged to go,” he said.
“I’m happy that I’ve been given this opportunity, and I won’t take it for granted.”
Mrs McInnes said she thought it brought the significant issue of mental health to the local students’ attention.
“I think he’s going to make some lifelong friends from it too,” she said.
While there will be many benefits from attending the trip, Toby said he was most looking forward to growing himself.
He said he hoped to share skills learned during the experience with those around him when he returned.
“My main priority is to not take this opportunity for granted and to experience it 100 per cent, and take as much out of it to better myself,” he said.
“And, it won’t just better myself; it will better my peers I hang around with, the people I work with down at Woolworths, my family – everyone.”
The family is grateful to help and want to do anything they can to support the cause.
Pauline and Hilton Carrigan will be joined by two teachers chaperoning the students on their trip.
The travelling pupils include Maddison Cooke, Fintan Conway, Brydie Moore, Hugh Price, Sarah Saunders, Jonathon McMahon, Lachlan Chesire, Amelia Meier, Harrison Kennedy, Lily Collins, Toby McInnes, Eleanor Tilse, Breanna Goodear, James Hagley, Georgia Gal, Blake Shackleton, Marcus Morris and Brydie Cullen.