Kiwi youths to receive medals from the Queen in leadership awards

Alexia Hilbertidou, 19, Queen's Young Leader 2018. Photo / queensyoungleaders.com

Two young Kiwis will be honoured with a Queen's Young Leader's Award in a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace this month.

Alexia Hilbertidou, 19, and Ezekiel Raui, 20, are two of 240 young people from around the Commonwealth to get the awards, given by the Queen herself.

The Aucklanders beat thousands of applicants to receive the award, which involves a year-long leadership course run by the University of Cambridge, mentoring, visiting the British PM's home at 10 Downing St and training with the BBC and Facebook in the UK.

Hilbertidou is being honoured for the work she's done to encourage women to become leaders in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem), leadership and entrepreneurship in New Zealand.

Ezekiel Raui, 20, Queen's Young Leader 2018. Photo / queensyoungleaders.com

Raui is receiving his award for encouraging men to take up leadership positions and to talk more openly about mental health issues.

The award ceremony will be held on June 26.

Entrants must be aged between 18 and 29.

The 2018 Queen's Young Leaders are finding solutions to global issues such as climate change, food scarcity, gender-based violence, mental health, and access to education.

Dr Astrid Bonfield CBE, chief executive of The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust which is a partner of the awards, congratulated this year's award recipients.

"Through selfless determination, the Queen's Young Leaders of 2018 are dedicating their lives to bring positive change to those around them.

"Their visit to the UK this June provides them with a unique opportunity to connect with each other and gain valuable lessons from experts and leaders from all walks of life."

The Queen's Young Leaders programme was established in 2014 by the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust in partnership with Comic Relief, the Royal Commonwealth Society and the University of Cambridge's Institute of Continuing Education, in recognition of the Queen's lifetime of service to the Commonwealth.