Guest Speaker
Tonight we heard from our RYE students.
First up was Sara who spoke to us about what she has been doing since her arrival in July. She is now living with her second host family, Tom & Lisa Barry, after moving from Melissa & Rodger Anstis. Some of her highlights have been the Tropical Trek to Airlie Beach and receiving an award at school for her Timber project.
We then heard from our 2026 Outbound Student, Lillian Nichols. She will be heading to Northern Spain in January and has been in touch with her first host family. She is looking forward to the experience of youth exchange, getting out of her comfort zone and hoping to get into football over there.
Finally we heard from Eva Kaye who is now a member of Rotex after her year in Italy last year. Eva has been successful in securing a position at the National Youth Science Forum which will be held at the ANU in Canberra in January 2026. It inspires young Australians to engage in science and technology futures. She thanked the RCA for supporting her in this by making a contribution towards the cost of the program. We look forward to having Eva back once she has been to Canberra.
All three girls extended their gratitude to the RCA for supporting them through sponsorship and hosting for RYE.
Previous Guest Speaker from November 17th
Apologies for leaving this out of the last bulletin.
On Monday night Lucy O’Callahan was our guest speaker, and her presentation was truly inspiring. She spoke of her turbulent childhood under a very controlling father, the abusive marriage she found herself in until she finally found the courage to gather a few possessions and escape looking for a better life. Unfortunately the better life has taken more than 5 years to start to appear ( a glimmer) – during that time one of her son’s committed suicide and she spiralled deeper into depression, losing numerous jobs and becoming homeless – couch surfing or sleeping in her car, things were grim. Finally, she met a couple who have helped turn her life around. With caring support Lucy is slowly getting her life back together and her passion for painting is helping build self-confidence, an income and a glimmer of hope for a better future. I am not sure if it is purely a coincidence or good timing, but Lucy’s story aligns with the Rotary focus at present our Border Rotary Community Group - Domestic Violence campaign and the recent safeTalk – Suicide alertness workshops.
Lucy currently holds “Sip and Paint” events at a couple of local hotels and hopes to expand to her painting classes in the future – we wish her all the best.
Meet the Heart behind the Glimmers
Lucy, founder of Glimmers in Art, by Lucy, brings joy, creativity, learning and healing through art.
From children’s art classes to Sip and Paint events, she creates welcoming spaces for self-expression and connection.
Inspired by her own journey, Lucy shares “glimmers” of light, turning painting into moments of resilience, laughter, and community.
With her Bachelor in Teaching, and Bachelor of Education, Lucy has a rich background in education.
Her creativity and teaching style come from personal exploration, resilience, and a passion for sharing the joy of art with others.
Glimmers in Art, by Lucy 1/93-95 Urana Street, Jindera NSW, Australia glimmersinart@gmail.com www.glimmersinart.com.au 0412 593 873
