Bowral High School student Jennifer Purcell was honoured for her dedication to community service in a ceremony with the NSW Governor Marie Bashir AC last week.
Her Excellency Professor Bashir presented the Order of Australia Certificate of Commendation and medallion to 20 NSW students, nominated by their schools, expressing her admiration for their achievements.
"You are the leaders of tomorrow... go out there and change the world," she said.
Ms Purcell said at the reception after the ceremony, she had an opportunity to share stories of her trip to India with World Vision with the Governor, who was fascinated by an anecdote about the cricket-mad children.
"I told her a story about the children getting excited because I was from Bowral like Donald Bradman, and she turned around and said something really special to me," Ms Purcell said.
"She said, 'I think your generation is going to be the one that saves the world,' and she said that because of the quality of the people who were there and the things they had done.
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