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September 5, 2016

Southern Stars ignites passion for Education student

Colour, music and passion combine in annual school spectacular.

For Crystal Jones, Southern Stars isn’t just a weekend affair.

The fourth year UOW Bachelor of Education student has been involved in the Southern Stars spectacular since she was a primary school student and credits the teachers involved for shaping her decision to study teaching at UOW.

“The passion that the teachers had at Southern Stars when I was in school and the way they mentored me made me want to be one of them for future generations,” she said.

Crystal is part of a small team of UOW volunteers who work tirelessly to help the show come to life, with an intense nine-month long lead-time for event preparations.

“Work on the event starts the December before the show. It’s built around the talent of the students involved and the huge lead-time means we can pick songs and dances based on the ability of the students.”

This year marks the 16th year of UOW involvement in Southern Stars, with a number of students and staff taking on various volunteer roles in stage management, choreography and vocal coaching. UOW is a Star Sponsor of the event, which showcases the musical and performance talents of more than 120 schools and 2,500 students from the Illawarra and surrounding areas each August.

“The best thing is being able to inspire those students and develop their craft for the onstage performance,” Crystal said.

“It’s about bringing performance and the arts into their lives and developing their passion for the stage.

“I don’t think I’d want to be anywhere else come August each year.”

Southern Stars took place at the WIN Entertainment Centre on Saturday 27 August.