LOCAL LIFE
ONE OF THE HILLS FINEST...
Advika and Rihanna with Hills Shire Mayor, Dr Michelle Byrne by Lorna Gordon
The young people of the Hills will be happy to know that their thoughts and feelings about what is happening in our area is being represented to our local council by two very capable young people. Advika Kapoor and Rihanna Soundranayagam were appointed the 2025 – 2026 Youth Ambassadors through The Hills Shire’ s Sydney Hills Youth Ambassador Program last year.
Their appointments were announced by Mayor Michelle Byrne during a special ceremony at The Hills Shire Council, recognising two outstanding young leaders who are already making a significant contribution to their community.
Advika and Rihanna are serving as ambassadors for young people across the Shire by attending community events and Council functions, contributing to forums, and acting as an important representative voice for youth. They work alongside Council to develop and deliver projects designed to engage and support young people locally.
Central to the role is involvement with The Hills Youth Army, Council’ s youth volunteer group. Each year, Youth Ambassadors and champions help Council identify youth needs and interests, recruit new Youth Army members and empower young people to take the lead on community-driven initiatives. Advika Kapoor For Advika, volunteering began with something simple but powerful. A simple letter.
“ I started volunteering with a letterwriting organisation because I noticed a lot of people in the community were silently struggling with their own battles,” she said.“ Through my own experiences, I know how much a few kind words can mean to somebody.”
The decision to volunteer her time encouraged her to make a bigger commitment and join other worthy causes. She is now a peer support leader, Duke of Edinburgh participant and leader in the Australian Navy Cadets. Advika was also a Top 10 finalist in the Macquarie Ideas Challenge and Pitch for Purpose, and balances her volunteering with public speaking, performing in musicals, umpiring and playing netball, and working towards publishing her own book.
“ Volunteering keeps me grounded,” she said.“ It reminds me that there’ s so much happening beyond my own life, and that showing up can make a real difference.”
I asked Advika how she manages to juggle her volunteering, school and extra curricular activities, and was not surprised that this mature young woman had it all in hand.
“ It can certainly be difficult at times, especially in the midst of school exams! But volunteering is something I genuinely care about, so I make time for it when I can. It’ s all about planning ahead and accepting that you can’ t do everything
6 ISSUE 129 // MARCH 2026 theindependentmagazine. com. au THE HILLS INDEPENDENT