Excitement, gratitude, and a little pressure came together for Laura Muller when she heard her name announced as Auckland Park Preparatory School’s (APPS) newly elected head girl.

While she had hoped to be chosen, Laura deliberately avoided expecting it, knowing there were many talented girls in her grade who could have stepped into the role. Hearing the announcement was made even more special by the reaction of her friends. “I was excited for myself and because all my friends were excited for me. It made me feel happy that they thought I deserve it.”

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Now, Laura is looking ahead to a year in which she hopes to do more than wear the title. To her, becoming head girl means having the opportunity to represent and serve her school, while helping take APPS into 2027. She believes her classmates chose her because she cares about people, listens to them, and is someone they can rely on when they need help. Those qualities are also at the heart of the leader she wants to become. “I want to lead by example and be approachable. I want people to know that they can trust me and that I will take responsibility.”

Listening and respect are, in Laura’s view, the foundations of good leadership. She wants younger learners, in particular, to feel that they matter and that they can approach her comfortably. Her leadership vision isn’t built around a long list of changes. Instead, Laura hopes to strengthen values she believes are important to the school community: confidence, integrity, inclusivity, respect, and, importantly, fun.

That last quality is something she has already experienced through one of her favourite school memories – the inter-house swimming gala. The event gave Laura an early taste of leadership as she helped organise her house, worked with teachers to call learners for their races, and helped lead the house dance. Creating and practising the dance brought the pupils together and taught her an important lesson: leadership can be serious, but it should also be enjoyable. “Creating and practising the dance brought everyone together and showed me that there is also fun in leading.”

As she prepares to work alongside her newly elected deputy head girl, Saarah Carrim, Laura is most excited about making special memories with her school and embracing the opportunities that come with the position. There is one thing that does make her nervous: living up to her own expectations, but perhaps that pressure comes from the same place as her ambition – a genuine desire to make a positive difference.

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By the end of her leadership term, Laura hopes to look back knowing that she left people feeling supported and happy, and that she helped them love APPS as much as she does. Interestingly, despite being the person her classmates now look to as a leader, Laura says they may be surprised to discover just how much she looks up to them.

Outside school, Laura enjoys sport, listening to music, baking, cooking, and spending time with friends, but as she prepares for her leadership year, her message to her future Grade 7 self goes beyond achievement. “Grab every opportunity. Make people feel heard and respected. Value friendships and time at APPS, and, above all, enjoy every moment.”

Laura’s vision of leadership isn’t about standing above her classmates; it is about standing alongside them – listening, helping, and making sure that everyone feels they belong.

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