Michael Lister from East Otago High School and Jibi Kunnethedam from St Kevin's College have been named as the winners of the TrustPower Waihemo Youth Community Spirit Award and TrustPower Oamaru Youth Community Spirit Award.

The Awards were presented at the TrustPower Waitaki District Community Awards held on Tuesday 2 July 2013.

Run in conjunction with the TrustPower Waitaki District Community Awards, the TrustPower Youth Community Spirit Award recognises secondary school students' service to the school and the community. The Awards are jointly run by TrustPower and the Waitaki District Council.

Local high schools were asked to recommend one student to be considered for both the Waihemo and Oamaru Award. The runner-up for the Oamaru Award is Jessica Richards from Waitaki Girls High School.

To be considered for the TrustPower Youth Community Spirit Award students had to have given service to school or community projects, treated others with care and respect and been a good ambassador for the school and the Waitaki region.

TrustPower Community Relations Representative Jess Somerville says both Michael and Jibi are high academic achievers with a passion for helping others.

"Michael is a highly motivated head student at East Otago High School who works tirelessly on a range of activities both at school and in his wider community.

"As an advocate for student voice, Michael has been a student council representative since year 9 and also served as the student representative on the Boart of Trustees for the past two years. He is also head of the formal committee and is a peer support leader.

"Michael is equally busy in the community, where he helps run a youth group, volunteers for the Waihemo A & P Association and he helped organise the local Anzac Day service of which he was invited to be a guest speaker.

"Despite Michaels busy life he makes an impressive contribution to the Waihemo community through his school, church and community involvement. Michael is an outstanding leader, a very civic minded man of the highest integrity," says Miss Somerville.

Miss Somerville says Jibi is the type of student who throws himself into all school activities, volunteering his time and energy to helping others.

"During his time at St Kevin's College Jibi has managed to involve himself in many sporting, cultural and service activities and balance this with an outstanding academic record.

"At St Kevin's, Jibi is a keep sportsperson and plays on the 1st XI Football team, he is a talented debtor, accomplished public speaker and is a talented actor who contributes a lot of time to the House Drama competition. Jibi is also the director of the school 'Leos Club' and he has completed his Edmond Rice Service Award. Jibi has also been a reader, data projectionist and Eucharistic minister in the school chapel since year 9.

"Out in the community Jibi is the President of the Waitaki Multicultural Council, a Senior Patrol leader of North Otago Scout Group, a football coach and referee at St Joseph's primary and has been an alter server and reader for the local parish for the past 5 years.

"Jibi's school commends him as a student who embraces life, with an infectious enthusiasm and that although he is very able in so many areas of life he remains humble and self-effacing," says Miss Somerville.

For winning the Award Michael and Jibi will each receive a trophy, framed certificate and $500 prize money, with $250 being given to a community group or organisation of their choice.

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