Jayda Ali
Wellington Girls’ College
National Leader 2025-2026
Jayda joined us at our 2025 Conference in April and has been a standout from the moment she arrived. She has thrown herself wholeheartedly into every opportunity, bringing an infectious positivity and a presence that people naturally gravitate toward. Jayda is channeling her creative strengths into an inspiring project of developing a mural aimed at raising awareness about fatigue driving, while also creating content for our social media platforms.
Jayda discovered there were several barriers to creating a mural in central Wellington, including finding a suitable location, gaining permission, and meeting the required criteria.
During the planning process, Jayda also researched what Wellington students considered the biggest road safety issue. The overwhelming response was distracted driving, particularly the use of mobile phones.
As a result, Jayda has developed a new concept to spark conversation across central Wellington. Using chalk, she will draw outlines of mobile phones in parking spaces throughout the city, encouraging people to "park their phone before they drive." The aim is to prompt drivers to think about putting their phone away before starting their journey and to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving.