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Nicola KalmarBroome Advertiser One is an aspiring marine biologist, the other is chief executive of a mental health foundation. Together, they are taking the nation by storm with their
mutual passion to bring about positive change in youth. Queensland women Nicole Gibson and Nicole McLaughlan are the fresh faces behind Sunsuper’s Champions for Change — an engaging and
empowering youth program aiming to get young people to become advocates for positive change in their school and local community. Earlier this month, the women brought their national youth
motivational tour to Broome and inspired local students. After winning grants in Sunsuper’s Dreams for a Better World initative, Miss Gibson used the funds to establish the Rogue and Rouge
Foundation to raise awareness for mental illness and the effect of unhealthy body image after suffering from an eating disorder as a teenager. Miss McLaughlan used her grant to further her
work as a marine conservationist after witnessing the annual dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. After working hard to fulfill their dreams and
making a positive change in their own fields, the girls eventually met and decided to join forces to engage youth across the country. “Our mission was 250 schools, 50,000 young people across
social and environmental change with the premise being that change starts with us,” Miss Gibson said. “And it starts with us thinking positively and then all the environmental issues
benefit from us planning together as a community and working towards positive change. “I wanted to make a movement that changed kids’ perception to say take responsibility… and I really
believe the best anchor we can give young people is a positive outlet and a dream.” The girls’ recent visit to Broome was an opportunity to interact with regional youths. They worked closely
with primary and secondary Broome students on various projects and activities to identify their dream and future goals. “We can’t make a kid do something, but we can inspire them,” Miss
Gibson said. Before arriving in Broome, Miss McLaughlan said she had formed an opinion of the town based on its sister city relationship with Taiji but had since been surprised by Broome’s
commitment to conservation, and said Broome could have a “very positive influence” on Taiji and lead by example through the town’s commitment to conservation. “Having a whale nursing
sanctuary at the back doorstep of Broome…I think Broome could definitely be a leader in terms of environmental protection,” she said. Miss McLaughlan said the visit gave her a chance to
learn more about Broome and engage with students about the role they played in looking after the environment. “The reason why I have so much hope is that there are success stories (in the
world) every day and that keeps us going...it’s all about those small victories and even when you get the message across to just one child, you never know what that one person will do,” she
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