2026 Sir John Monash Award winners

Published on 14 September 2026

Congratulations to our recent Sir John Monash Award winners! 

We asked David Zheng and David Pouth to tell us a little about their experience of winning their community award, and for a message they would like to share with other young people in Monash.

David Zheng
Young Leader Award (8-14 years)

Despite being of primary school age, David has already completed hundreds of volunteering hours through environmental projects and educational programs. His enthusiasm for helping others and inspiring fellow young people demonstrates leadership beyond his years.

"In the community, I have been reading to younger children at the local kindergarten. I read them a story, and I give them fun hands-on activities to do and ask questions. They especially enjoy it when I bring in my pet chickens and ducks in and they can pat them and ask lots of questions. I have also been cleaning up the local parks with my friends and family, refunding bottles that I collect and donating all the refunded money to my school. I have collected over 4300 bottles and donated over $430 to my school. The last thing I have done is that I have been hosting weekly teaching and science groups with my friends at my house. We do science experiments together and we teach each other things we are good at.

I felt surprised when I received this award because I didn’t know that doing lots of small things can lead up to a large surprise. I have enjoyed doing these activities and I hope more people are inspired to help the community and make a bigger difference.

A message I would like to share with the young people in Monash is that doing small things can make a big difference. This is because doing a small thing like volunteering can make a large difference like helping other people and making them happier. For example, I did the continuous small things of collecting bottles and refunding them and donating all the refund to the school from 2023. This resulted in the school setting up their own Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) account to encourage more people to get involved in. This proves that doing small things can make a big difference. If we all volunteer, then we will make a bigger difference in the community."

David Pouth
Young Leadership Award (15-25 years)

A dedicated volunteer with organisations including St John Ambulance, CFA, Victoria Police and the RSPCA, David is committed to community service and encouraging other young people to get involved and make a difference.

“It is an absolute honour to receive the Sir John Monash Youth Leadership Award at the age of nineteen. If you had shown this exact moment to my younger self, he would have been completely speechless. Out of so many incredible nominees, simply having my name on the board felt like a celebration in itself. Sitting in that room, the thought racing through my head was that there was no way in a million years I would be chosen. When my name was actually announced, I was blinded by the sheer realisation. Walking up to that stage in front of a crowd was daunting. I am usually not one for the spotlight. but somehow, I found my footing. 

My name is David Pouth, and while I am incredibly grateful to receive this award, I view it as something much larger than myself. This award is an acknowledgement of the quiet dedication so many put into our community. It is a symbol of pure humanity, the act of dedicating time and effort to others with absolutely no expectation of favour or return. I believe the true art of volunteering is an unspoken, underrated force that holds us all together. 

Why do I volunteer? Simply because I can, and because I believe it is what we are meant to do for one another. Volunteering is essentially handing a piece of your own humanity to someone who needs it the most. When a person is going through their darkest time, I never want them to feel like there isn't a light at the end of the tunnel. There is always a light, and it will get better. Lending a helping hand into the abyss is a commitment I will carry to my grave. Whether it is responding to medical emergencies as a first responder with St John Ambulance, assisting Victoria Police recruits in practical training scenarios so they can thrive in the field, turning out alongside the big red trucks with the CFA, or protecting vulnerable animals with the RSPCA, the goal is never recognition from the start, but just helping. I would do this work regardless of who is watching. 

If I can offer one piece of advice to any young person thinking about getting involved: please, just start. You may not realise it, but the impact you make on your community goes far beyond what words can express. The feeling of blessing someone's day, or even changing their life, just by showing up is indescribable. You don't have to start with massive commitments. Picking up rubbish in your neighbourhood or simply checking in on a neighbour can completely turn someone's day around. You only live once, and starting young will build your character to unreachable levels. Take the leap and give back; I promise you will never regret it!”