Signing Off from 2025: Reflections From Our Youth Representatives
As we wrap up the year, our youth reps Jordan and Olivia share their final thoughts, reflections, and big moments from 2025. From school SADD groups to national leadership and representing rangatahi at the board table, they’ve been right alongside all of us on this journey. This end-of-year blog is a look back on what they’ve learned, what they’ve loved, and what’s ahead for 2026.
Kia Ora everyone,
Jordan, your current youth representative, here with a final blog to round off my time involved with SADD. It has been my privilege to be the Board of Trustees youth representative for SADD for 2025 after being deputy in 2024. Because I have loved being a part of SADD, this is very emotional to actually write.
I joined Northern Southland College's SADD group all the way back in 2019, and we ran activities the same as SADD groups across Aotearoa. The most entertaining one was drawing chalk road lines all over the quad and placing signs around to have people practice give way and stop rules. It included a roundabout, which I was quite proud of. I was also a leader of my school’s group in year 12 and 13.
National Leader:
In 2022 and 2023 I was part of the National Leadership Programme. I joined because I was already passionate about SADD and wanted to get even more involved. During my time, I learnt a lot more about road safety in NZ. I learnt a lot at these events about different types of leadership and communication, which I feel has hugely benefited me in other areas like school, work, other clubs, and in the later role of Youth Rep. As part of the National Leadership Programme, one of the most frustrating lessons I had to learn was that there is such a thing as overcommitment. Unfortunately, all the research and preparation I put into my project ran out of time to be put to use. But my time as a National Leader was exciting to participate in SADD at a wider level than just my school in the summer campaigns, conferences, and social media.
Deputy Youth Rep
The Deputy Youth Representative/Youth Representative role is quite different to other SADD leadership programmes. This role is fundamental to keep SADD as a ‘by youth, for youth’ organisation. It is about ensuring that the other students in leadership roles and in schools are heard by the board in order to keep SADD focussed on being a student-led organisation.
A major focus for the two years I have been in the roles is to implement more regular and structured communication with the National and Regional Leaders in order to hear from them about SADD’s direction. We have ended up with a system to meet up with National and Regional Leaders regularly and discuss feedback on various SADD events and campaigns of the year. I enjoyed hearing their feedback and engagement, as well as hearing about cool projects and ideas they have.
The Deputy Youth Rep role is not so much about learning components of leadership through hui, conference and mentoring such as in the NLP, but it is an excellent chance to use those skills and grow them by practice instead. It has also been a chance to contribute to SADD social media and events and speak at the conference to share about my role and make sure students are aware the Youth Rep role exists and why it is important.
Youth voice:
The reason I find SADD to be such a fun and effective organisation is the focus on youth voice and flexibility for youth to use SADD to reach their peers. My role for the last two years has been to ensure that this voice is heard at the very top of the organisation. Youth voice makes SADD activities in schools come across better to peers as someone to engage with and at a wider NZ level, It means people don’t perceive road safety as something boring adult conversation, but important for all of us to be part of shaping.
Lessons from SADD:
You can’t always see the difference you are making in the short term, especially in something as big as road safety for a whole country
Time management isn’t just planning when to do things, it is making sure that all the things you want to do can fit into the time and energy you have.
Have some fun and be silly or ‘cringe’ for a good cause.
Something I would do differently:
I have enjoyed all of my involvement in SADD. Something I would change is not the roles themselves, but my project. Even though planning is a great tool, I feel jumping in and getting a draft as a starting point would have been better. I was definitely a bit worried it wouldn’t be good, but I have had to learn that the first draft of anything doesn’t have to be the perfect, ideal outcome.
Advice for someone starting out in SADD:
Even though I still get the old ‘oh that’s so sad’ joke 98% of times I say I have SADD related things to do, I promise it is a fun and engaging organisation. Get involved, run activities, start conversations. Whether you are new to your school’s group or trying to start one up, it doesn’t have to be huge to be effective.
Also, you don’t have to be original (shocking). If you see a post of another school running and event you think would work, do it! The SADD website ideas are there to be used, don’t overthink it. If you have an original idea, do that too! And then tell people, it might just help someone else.
Future of SADD:
Celebrating SADD’s 40th birthday this year was so exciting. I don’t know what it might look like in 40 more years, but I would love to see SADD groups grow connections with other schools in their area to work together for wider community impact.
I would also love to see the continued growth of the Te Ao Maori/Te Reo Maori integration and growth of the Maori advisory Ropu which began several years ago.
I have enjoyed all of my time in SADD, from a young member of my high-school group, to finishing as the Youth Representative at a national level. Road safety is something I believe is to strived for in NZ for everyone, and I think SADD at all levels is doing so much toward this.
Now time for some thank-yous:
Thanks to Tayla the youth rep last year for showing me the ropes and Olivia this year, I look forward to hearing what you are up to from here.
Thank you to the Board of Trustees for welcoming, and listening to me, and allowing me to be a part of the team.
Thanks to Donna and Roger for facilitating the Youth Rep meetings and work, as well as other SADD staff throughout the years.
Special thanks to Mark. My Delivery lead all the way back when, National Leader mentor, and now working with you again in the Youth Rep role.
Signing off,
Jordan Kington
Olivia:
This past year has been incredibly special for me as the Deputy Youth Representative, and I’m grateful to be continuing my journey with SADD as I move from Deputy Youth Representative into the Youth Representative role in 2026. Staying involved with SADD despite moving on from the NLP has reminded me again and again why this organisation means so much to me. The message we champion is important, the work is meaningful, and the people involved genuinely care about making a difference in the lives of rangatahi on our roads. Being part of an organisation that empowers youth, listens to youth, and trusts youth to lead has continued to be such a privilege.
One of the highlights of this role has been working alongside Jordan. Her support, leadership, and guidance have shaped my experience in ways I’m truly thankful for. She has shown me what thoughtful leadership looks like, and I’ve learned so much from the way she approaches everything we have done together. Getting to work closely with her has easily been my favourite part of the past year and made this role what it is.
It has also been eye-opening to see how SADD operates behind the scenes. As a National Leader, I always saw the incredible output of the Delivery Team — but being involved at this level has given me a new appreciation for the planning, administration, and heart that sits underneath it all. Looking ahead, I’m excited to continue working closely with the National Leaders to build a meaningful connection and to help shape what the role looks like alongside Hannah next year. I’m proud to be part of SADD, and I can’t wait to carry everything I’ve learned into 2026.
Olivia
Congratulations from both Jordan and Olivia to Hannah Geater who will be stepping into the role of deputy youth representative in 2026.