At Pinnacle College Linden, leadership is about more than standing on a stage or wearing a badge.

For the school’s student representative council (SRC), it means giving back, creating community, making school enjoyable and ensuring that every learner feels seen.

The SRC is divided into different portfolios, allowing learners to use their individual strengths while working towards the same goal. For outreach prefect Sophia Jordan, giving back is something she grew up with. Her involvement has included collections, food and clothing drives and a memorable Mandela Day initiative that saw learners make more than 2 500 sandwiches in one day. “It is just so amazing to see how we, as a community, can give back,” she said.

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Her fellow outreach leader Eden Ross, head of social events, believes community service helps shape young people beyond the classroom. “We’re building our future generations,” she said, adding that community service teaches learners how to become better members of society.

Humaira Patelia, head of outreach, said the portfolio has taught her valuable lessons about leadership and the difference small acts can make, while deputy head Calvin Dahlberg discovered just how much his own capacity for caring could grow. “You don’t realise how much you are until you actually get put into the test,” he said.

That spirit of service extends into the school’s safety and service portfolio. Grade 11 learner Lilly Hutt said safety is not only about physical surroundings, but also about ensuring learners have someone to turn to when life becomes overwhelming. She hopes to see more mentoring between younger and older learners, as well as spaces where students can simply pause and breathe.

Meanwhile, Bokang Masoga, from the spirit committee, believes school should offer more than academics. From Valentine’s balls and winter dances to sports and fun days, she said social events give learners an opportunity to relax, connect and build friendships.

For Siphesihle Ngobeni, deputy head of the SRC, leadership is about listening first and making people feel comfortable bringing their concerns forward. His dream is to leave behind traditions that future learners will continue enjoying. “I would like to be able to come back to the school and see that kids are still enjoying coming to school.”

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That idea of creating lasting memories is also at the heart of spirit committee head Tadiwanashe Chirebvu, who believes the moments learners share with friends can stay with them long after their marks are forgotten. “I’m not going to be worrying about the exam I wrote on Tuesday,” she said. “I am going to be thinking about the memories.”

For Aditya Devkurran, the school’s Johannesburg Junior City Council representative, leadership extends beyond the school gates. Representing young people across Johannesburg has shown him that young people can already make a difference. “Children, they are not the leaders of tomorrow. They are the leaders of today,” he said.

Behind the scenes, Imaan Osmany and Bianca van Rheede van Outdshoorn, the Grade 10 head and deputy head of marketing respectively, use creativity to showcase the school through social media, posters and campaigns. Their work has included the 947 My School Top 5 campaign and promoting initiatives such as the sanitary pad drive and Mandela Day sandwich campaign. For them, marketing is about showing people the school’s personality – not simply its achievements.

Teacher Kerry O’Farrell, who oversees the SRC, said that is exactly what the structure is intended to achieve. “We need to promote values in the children. So, it’s not only about what you have, but it’s how you can help others in the community,” she said.

With portfolios ranging from outreach and safety to social events, spirit and marketing, the SRC gives learners different ways to lead while reinforcing the school’s values of respect, diversity and inclusion.

Perhaps its greatest lesson is that leadership does not have to begin someday in the future. Sometimes, it starts with a sandwich, a book donation, a school dance, a poster, a listening ear – or simply making someone else feel that they belong.

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