St Peter’s wins the Youth Spirit Award
St Peter’s School Cambridge student Luke van Gog has won the Youth Community Spirit Award at the Waipa Trustpower Community Awards.
He won the award for being invested in his school, his community, and his investment club.
Luke has given back to the community in a variety of ways.
He visits Cambridge Resthaven residents regularly, reading to people, joining them on walks and entertaining people there with music and song.
He has also worked with the Cambridge Tree Trust to help clean up the river bank, spread and mulch plant seedlings.
He has completed maintenance work for Riding for the Disabled, taught English and helped to build classrooms for a school in Ecuador.
As Academic Prefect at St Peter’s, Luke organises the peer tutoring scheme and matches senior students with the necessary skills to junior students with specific learning needs.
Because of his keen interest in business, under his own initiative he launched and investment club at school.
He researches and organises weekly sessions, sources guest speakers, and has set up a stock market simulator to help mentor students interested in business.
His club has around 70 members, whom he sends regular emails that teach investment techniques.
Luke is completing his Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award. In 2016, he was selected to attend the Student Global Leadership Institute at Punahou School in Hawaii, which is a year-long programme that engages students in teamdeveloped community service projects.
He and his team are currently working on their project.
He hopes to study in the United States and one day work for the World Bank.
Runner Up for the Youth Spirit Award went to Jessica Gosling of Cambridge High School, who is an emerging leader at her school and in the community.
Other Cambridge award winners were: Health and Wellbeing, runner up Cambridge Hospice Shop, with Cambridge Community House getting commendation. Luke van Gog from St Peter’s won Youth Community Spirit, Cambridge Badminton Club was runner up in Sport and Leisure, Cambridge Auxiliary Brass Band won the Arts and Culture category with Cambridge Society of Arts as runner up.