Local Lane Cove resident Bella Vacaflores is another Lane Cove student with outstanding HSC results. Her HSC results alone would be impressive, however it’s Bella’s leadership and volunteering skills that have also made an impact.
Bella is on the HSC Distinguished Achiever List (Students who achieved a mark of 90 or above in specific subjects). She studied 6 subjects (11 units) and received Band 6/E4 (highest band) in 5 out of the 6 subjects she completed.
Bella is a former North Sydney Girl’s High School Student and she attended both Lane Cove Public School and Greenwich Public School.
Claudia Leach Award
Bella also received the coveted North Sydney Girl’s High School Claudia Leach Leadership Award. This award has a very special Lane Cove connection.
Claudia Leach set up Lane Cove Community Aid Service in 1961 (now known as Sydney Community Services). While campaigning for election to the Lane Cove Council, Claudia saw residents who needed more community help. Once she was elected to the Lane Cove Council she acted quickly and established Lane Cove Community Aid. An organisation that set the model for similar organisations around Australia and internationally. Claudia Leach served on the Lane Cove Council for 16 years (she was Deputy Mayor for three terms). She was also a teacher at North Sydney Girl’s High and one of her former students suggested the Claudia Leach Year 12 scholarship to assist a Year 12 student contemplating a career in politics or public life. Previous winners include politician Verity Firth and current Sydney Union President Liliana Tai. Claudia was also born in Gunnedah (our sister city). Well done Bella for receiving this prestigious award.
She represented the Lane Cove electorate at the 2016 Youth Parliament and was sponsored by Chatswood Rotary in attending this.
Achilles Running Club and Willoughby Park Run
Not only did Bella study hard during HSC at the same time she was actively involved as a Visual Impaired running guide with the Achilles Running Club. The Achilles Running Club’s mission is to enable people who have a disability to enjoy the health-giving benefits of walking and running with volunteers in a supportive social environment. The partnership creates opportunities to set and achieve life changing goals (read more here).
She has been a visually impaired guide at Willoughby Park Run and was also the youngest visually impaired guide to complete a Half Marathon. It helps that Bella is a state level Cross Country runner. You can read more about the Willoughby Park Run here.
Working Locally
Bella is known to many local families as she is a babysitter of choice to many of them.
Bella is currently chief bubble wrapper at Crayons Lane Cove during the busy Christmas season. Read more about Crayons here.
What Next?
Bella is keen to study a double degree in Politics, Philosophy Economics and Law at the Australian National University in 2020. In the year to come, she will be taking a gap year to pursue some of her creative interests and travel; hopefully visiting family in South America and spending a white Christmas in New York.
Congratulations to Bella on her results and well done on your volunteering roles and athletics results.
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