A NORTH Queensland Catholic school student and cattle judge has taken the Middle Years of Schooling Award in the Teen Challenge Queensland Student of the Year Awards, announced in Brisbane on November 6.
Callan Solari, who is a boarder at Columba Catholic College in Charters Towers, beat two other finalists, one from Mudgeeraba Creek State School, on the Gold Coast, the other from Mountain Creek State School, on the Sunshine Coast, to win top spot for students in the Years 5-9 category.
The 12 year-old was among nine category winners.
The awards are co-ordinated by Teen Challenge, which provides young people in crisis with recovery opportunities that are Christ-centred and focused on healing.
Award winners are not judged on the basis of academic achievement, giving all students, regardless of their school ranking, the opportunity to be recognised as positive role models.
Callan is Queensland’s youngest accredited cattle judge and last year beat much older competitors to win the under 17 division at the Brisbane Exhibition cattle judging competition.
He gained most of his extensive knowledge of cattle working on his family’s stud during school holidays and was recently invited to judge competitors in the cattle section of the Cairns Agricultural Show.
Callan said after the win that he was now in a position to promote rural and remote Queensland.
