Eva Pulvirenti and Deanna Stevens are the 2023-2024 Sydney Hills Youth Ambassadors.

The Mayor of The Hills Shire, Dr Peter Gangemi, announced the successful applicants during a special ceremony at The Hills Shire Council.

The Hills Shire Council’s Youth Ambassador Program has been running for many years and aims to assist Council in understanding the needs of young people in the community.

Mayor Gangemi, a former Hills Shire Youth Ambassador, welcomed the new Ambassadors and thanked finalists – Krish Nair, Samuel Cummins, Charini Samarasinghe, Aditya Ravic and Deema Arraf – for their contributions to The Hills Shire.

“Congratulations to our new Youth Ambassadors, Eva and Deanna,” Mayor Gangemi said.

“Eva and Deanna bring high enthusiasm to the role and a genuine desire to support their peers and the local community.

“I look forward to working with Eva and Deanna over the next year to make positive changes in The Hills Shire,” Mayor Gangemi added.

As part of their new role, Eva and Deanna will participate in community events, speak at Council functions, actively participate and give direction to Council’s volunteer youth group, The Hills Youth Army, and promote youth activities within schools and the community, such as Youth Week celebrations. They could also be selected to advise on committees, attend service networks and represent young people at functions during their 12-month ambassadorship.

Councillor Jessica Brazier, also a former Youth Ambassador, thanked the outgoing 2022-2023 Youth Ambassadors, Rebecca Yu and Hayley Mogilin, for their commitment to their roles over the past 12 months.

“Hayley and Rebecca have achieved so much in their time as Youth Ambassadors, especially their work in the mental health space.”

“I was also impressed by a public speaking course they hosted alongside the Hills Youth Army and with the support of the Hills Toastmasters. The one-day event helped many young people build their public speaking confidence and take on job interviews, school speeches, and more.

“I wish Hayley and Rebecca all the best in their future endeavours, and I can’t wait to see what they do next,” Clr Brazier added.

Meet our Sydney Hills Youth Ambassadors: 

Eva Pulvirenti

Eva has been a member of The Hills Youth Army for many years, volunteering at Council events like Youth Week, Australia Day and Clean Up Australia Day. Eva is passionate about the developing areas of the Shire, and she would like to promote inclusivity across The Hills. Eva would also like to be a voice for young people and educate and raise awareness about technology and social media safety.

Deanna Stevens

Deanna is a welfare leader at her school. She is passionate about challenging the stigma around gender issues, and she would like to raise awareness and educate her peers through health and well-being programs, such as R U OK? Day. Deanna also has interests in public speaking, slam poetry and conservation. Deanna believes positive change can be achieved through campaigns and program delivery that will generate kindness.