Ashley McOrist-Mitchell from Campania District School in Tasmania has been recognised as the winner of the 2019 Spirit Award.

The prize, a round trip for her and three family members on Spirit of Tasmania to a North Melbourne home game in Melbourne, as well as $500 to support a project that will benefit her school community.

It's all thanks to Spirit of Tasmania. 

McOrist-Mitchell’s application was a standout for all the work she does in her school and community.

“I’m pretty much just trying to do as much as I can to make my school and community a better place,” she wrote.

“I’m a student representative and a Sports/House Captain. I want my peers to feel as though they belong at Campania District School.

“I do this because I want to make school fun for others and give them something to look forward to.”

The journey for McOrist-Mitchell to become a leader in her school was not always an easy one.

“It took me three years and four attempts to become a student representative,” she wrote in her application.

“It’s based on student vote, and three times I ran for it and didn’t get it, but finally I got voted in.”

These challenges left her with valuable life lessons.

“I learned that no matter what happens, as long as you try, you can achieve anything you want,” she added. 

McOrist-Mitchell and her family will be traveling on Spirit of Tasmania to attend the round 22 clash against Port Adelaide at Marvel Stadium.

The Spirit Award is a joint initiative of Spirit of Tasmania and the North Melbourne Football Club, and is designed to reward and encourage Tasmanian students to grow their leadership and compassion, and help inspire their communities.