Sydney Hills Youth Ambassador Program
About the Program
The Sydney Hills Youth Ambassador Program is open to young people aged 15 to 24 years. You also need to live in The Hills Shire local government area.
If you are a young person who would like to represent the youth of The Hills Shire and is:
- passionate about meeting new people,
- looking to contribute to the community in general,
Then this program is for you.
The Youth Ambassador Program involves young people serving as Ambassadors of The Hills Shire for 12 months.
The Ambassadors are an important representative voice for young people in The Hills.
You will represent at functions, community events and forums. You will also become members of The Hills Youth Army (Council's Youth Volunteers). The Hills Youth Army provides input and direction to the group.
Every year Council recruits Youth Ambassadors and champions to assist in Council identifying and determining youth needs and interests.
Council empowers the Ambassador and champions to put in place projects around youth engagement within the Hills community. They also recruit new Hills Youth Army members.
Apply to be a Youth Ambassador for 2026 - 2027
Applications are now open for the Sydney Hills Youth Ambassador role for 2026 - 2027 with The Hills Shire Council.
This role is open to applicants aged 15 - 24 years who live within The Hills Shire local government area.
The Sydney Hills Youth Ambassador/s will act in a civic non-political capacity and, when directed, represent Council at authorised Council events and functions.
The role will advocate on behalf of young people in The Hills community for a period of up to 12 months (July 2026 - July 2027).
The Sydney Hills Youth Ambassador/s is a voluntary unpaid role which will also have the capacity to work, alongside Council staff, on a youth focused project during their term.
Apply to be a Sydney Hills Youth Ambassador
Applications open on Tuesday, 12 May 2026 and close on Thursday, 18 June 2026.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to reach out to the Community Development team via comminfo@thehills.nsw.gov.au
2025/2026 Youth Ambassadors
Advika Kapoor and Rihanna Soundranayagam have been appointed The Hills Shire’s 2025-2026 Youth Ambassadors as part of Council’s Sydney Hills Youth Ambassador Program.
Mayor of The Hills Shire, Dr Michelle Byrne announced the new Youth Ambassadors during a ceremony at The Hills Shire Council.
As part of their new responsibilities, Advika and Rihanna will work with Council to develop and deliver a project for young people during their one-year term. Other duties include attending Council functions and community events, working with Council’s youth volunteer group, The Hills Youth Army, and acting as a voice for young people in The Hills.
Mayor of The Hills Shire, Dr Michelle Byrne with 2025-26 Hills Shire Youth Ambassadors Rihanna Soundranayagam and Advika Kapoor.
About Advika
Advika is a peer support leader, Duke of Edinburgh participant and leader in the Australian Navy Cadets. Advika was also a Top 10 finalist in the Macquarie Ideas Challenge and Pitch for Purpose. She enjoys public speaking and participating in musicals as well as umpiring and playing netball. Advika is an avid writer, working towards publishing her own book and volunteers for Letters of Hope.
Advika’s priorities for young people in The Hills include celebrating diversity through youth-led storytelling, amplifying youth voices and addressing mental health in an honest and inviting way for young people.
About Rihanna
Rihanna has volunteered as the Social Media Youth Officer of Hills Youth Army for the past two years. She is also the Director and Social Media and Marketing Manager for Hills Outreach Volunteering.
Rihanna is passionate about creating spaces where all young people feel represented and empowered to speak up. Her priorities for young people in The Hills are increasing youth engagement in volunteering, expanding local activities for young people and fostering inclusivity.
2024/2025 Youth Ambassadors
Krish Nair and Shivani Sundaranathan have been appointed as the 2024-2025 Hills Shire Youth Ambassadors.
Krish Nair: A student at Macquarie University and the former 2023 Youth MP for Castle Hill, Krish is deeply committed to fostering community cohesion through diverse cultural events and enhancing educational opportunities for students. As a Youth Ambassador, Krish aims to bridge the gap between young people and Council, advocating for their needs and aspirations.
Shivani Sundaranathan: An active member of her school’s Student Representative Council, Shivani is a fervent advocate for diverse youth voices and social justice. As a Youth Ambassador, Shivani endeavours to amplify youth perspectives, foster inclusivity, and ensure that all voices in The Hills Shire are heard and valued.
2023/2024 Youth Ambassadors
Eva Pulvirenti and Deanna Stevens have been announced as the 2023-2024 Sydney Hills Youth Ambassadors.
Eva Pulvirenti
Eva has been a member of The Hills Youth Army for many years, volunteering at Council events like Youth Week, Australia Day and Clean Up Australia Day. Eva is passionate about the developing areas of the Shire, and she would like to promote inclusivity across The Hills. Eva would also like to be a voice for young people and educate and raise awareness about technology and social media safety.
Deanna Stevens
Deanna is a welfare leader at her school. She is passionate about challenging the stigma around gender issues, and she would like to raise awareness and educate her peers through health and well-being programs, such as R U OK? Day. Deanna also has interests in public speaking, slam poetry and conservation. Deanna believes positive change can be achieved through campaigns and program delivery that will generate kindness.
Image Caption: Mayor Gangemi pictured with new Youth Ambassadors Deanna Stevens (L) and Eva Pulvirenti (R) and Clr Jessica Brazier.
2022/2023 Youth Ambassadors
Image caption: Mayor Gangemi with Clr Boneham, new Youth Ambassadors Hayley Mogilin and Rebeeca Yu, former Youth Ambassadors Julie Charlton and Munira Tabassum and Clr Brazier.
Rebeeca Yu and Hayley Mogilin have been announced as this year’s Hills Shire Youth Ambassadors.
Rebecca has a significant interest in helping young people be heard. She is particularly interested in youth mental health, suicide prevention, homelessness and creating safe spaces. Rebecca is involved with headspace and Western Sydney Local Health District programs to support to young people experiencing difficulties. As Youth Ambassador, Rebecca wants to focus on creating a vision of a better community for young people and raising awareness about safe transport within the Hills.
Hayley is passionate about social justice and enjoys giving back to the community. She has a focus on environmental issues and sees education as the key to resolving a lot of our challenges. Hayley is a member of Girl Guides and the President of her Young Lions Club. She has a strong interest in community participation and volunteering. Hayley aims to represent youth within the Shire through her community involvement and her interest in public speaking.
2021/2022 Youth Ambassadors
Munira Tabassum Ahmed
Munira is a talented writer and performer. Her work has been featured in the Australian Poetry Journal, Emerging Writers and Runway Journal. She’s also received praise for her performance work by Bankstown Poetry Slam and Westside. Munira is passionate about the arts, mental health and wellbeing. In her new role as Youth Ambassador, Munira hopes to connect with and improve the wellbeing of young people through the arts.
Rory O'Connor
Rory has lived in the Hills his entire life. He has attended school here, his parish is based here and he has played competitive sports here. Rory is currently completing a media and economics degree at Macquarie University. On top of his studies, he is invested in giving back to the Hills and has participated in volunteering programs, such as Bushcare. Rory hopes to continue to serve his community in his new role as Youth Ambassador.
Julie Charlton
Julie is a passionate advocate for people with disability. She has travelled throughout NSW to talk extensively about people with disability and the issues that they face. She has also been the chairperson at the Youth Advisory Council and is an athletics coach. In her new role as Youth Ambassador, Julie hopes to give back to her local community and make a better world for her fellow peers.
Read the media release - The 2021-2022 Youth Ambassadors are announced.
2020/2021 Youth Ambassadors
Anthony Radic
Anthony is a Year Leader at Rouse Hill High School and is dedicated to advocating for youth wellbeing, specifically around the stresses of academic life. Anthony would also like to strengthen connections between youth in the Hills and the wider community.
Hayley Irving
Eighteen year old Hayley is currently studying at Macquarie University and hopes to forge a career in politics one day. She would like to use her appointment as Youth Ambassador to give people her age and younger a stronger voice in the community.
Media Releases:
2019/2020 Youth Ambassadors
The 2019/2020 Youth Ambassadors included Reshmi Vinanya Niriella, Tian Yi Wong See and Lihini Savannah Mandakini.