Meet our 2023 Head Prefect, Deputy Head Prefect

Reuben Calleja came to Blackfriars in 2019 as a very shy Year 8 student. In 2023, he will lead the student representative group as Head Prefect.

“I was really quiet and shy and I don’t think I had any intention of going for Prefect at all,” Reuben said of his early days at Blackfriars.

“I don’t think there was one specific moment that flicked a switch, but over the years, seeing the prefects that went through … and having some other leadership opportunities in different parts of the school, that just motivated me and gave me the confidence to go for it.

“And I am really glad I did, because here I am.”

The keen musician, who is also Deputy Music Captain in 2023, aimed to be “friendly and approachable” during his Head Prefect tenure.

“It sounds like a really simple thing but, at the end of the day, as the representative of the student body, you have to be able to be able to talk to everyone, bring ideas out of everyone and bring the best out of everyone to move the school forward,” he said.

He hoped to work with the 2023 Prefect group to strengthen the connection between year levels.

“There has been a lot of talk of really embracing the school spirit and having more interconnectedness between the year levels,” he said.

“The buddy program that we have had in place in a few different ways over the years, really bringing more to that and having the older students mix with the younger students. Those sort of ideas that bring the school community together.”

Harrison Dallimore has been elected Deputy Head Prefect for 2023.

Like Reuben, becoming a Prefect was not something he considered when he started at Blackfriars, also in 2019.

“It hasn’t quite sunk in yet,” he said of his appointment. “I think that I’ll start to feel it when we go back to school and I get to spend more time with different students and staff.

“It definitely isn’t something I ever considered in my younger years at Blackfriars. It’s a great opportunity to step up and improve myself and the school around me.”

He also wanted to find ways to students from different year levels together.

“My aim is to be as helpful as possible to Reuben and work with the Prefect group to move forward with our ideas,” he said. “I know that a few of the boys have some really good ideas for next year. I’m hoping to see an increase of year-level relations.”

You can learn more about the 2023 Prefect group here.