St Margaret’s College is proud to have supported the inaugural GirlBoss Canterbury Awards, and congratulates all ten winners, including SMC student Millie Edwards, named Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths winner, and Mackenzie Wills, winner of the Community Award category sponsored by SMC.
The GirlBoss mission to empower the next generation of female leaders in Aotearoa New Zealand aligns closely with SMC’s long-standing commitment to empower girls to learn, live and lead.
Millie Edwards, currently in Year 11 at SMC, earned the STEM award for her dedication to and leadership in robotics. With a journey that began at a young age, Millie has been honing her STEM skills, benefiting from the guidance and mentorship of Linda Chong, Head of SMC’s Centre for Innovation. Millie’s achievements include numerous national accolades, most recently securing victory in the National Robocup Competition, where she collaborated with Year 11 student Bea McGlashen to form a winning team.
Mackenzie Wills, a Year 12 student from Rolleston, emerged as the well-deserved winner of the Community Award, the award category championed by SMC and which celebrates GirlBosses with the heart to make a difference and the courage to take a stand. Mackenzie was nominated for her exceptional contributions to the Selwyn Youth Council and the leadership she has demonstrated in encouraging open dialogue to enact meaningful change.
Diana Patchett, Executive Principal of SMC, says:
“GirlBoss provides a platform to celebrate the achievements of girls who are striving to make a positive difference in their communities, and inspiring others to do the same. SMC has a proud history of encouraging its girls to push the boundaries of what is possible over the past 113 years, and we were delighted to support GirlBoss in its first awards focusing specifically on the leadership of young women across Canterbury.”
“GirlBoss believes every girl has the potential to make a positive difference, and at SMC we’ve been privileged to have seen proof of that time and time again with our students and Old Girls blazing a trail along their chosen paths. We are thrilled to see Millie recognised for her work in STEM, and we cannot wait to see what she, Mackenzie and all our Canterbury winners achieve in the coming years.”
