Steele, who was nominated by Head of Noake House Marguerite Crawford, took part in interactive sessions on team building and leadership, discovering the qualities of a good leader, how to set clear goals and motivate oneself, and the importance of interpersonal skills as a tool for success.

The summit is co-ordinated by the Amanda Young Foundation, a charity established in 1998 in memory of Amanda, a woman of unlimited potential who died at 18 from meningococcal disease. The foundation is committed to developing young people into leaders in the community.

Steele said he learned a great deal about himself and others through the sessions and found the personality-profiling workshop particularly interesting. “It really made you think about what kind of person and leader you are,” he said. “It made you understand why and how you think about things in a certain way and how you react in different situations.”

Along with meeting and living with students from other schools, he also had a chance to hear the personal stories of a variety of guest speakers including 2007 WA Young Leader of the Year Josh Fernandez and meningococcal disease survivor Lisa Burnette.

“Lisa, who is an amputee, gave us a greater awareness on meningococcal disease while Josh, a youth pastor, got us thinking about ways we can contribute and make a difference,” he said. “It has made me consider ways that I could volunteer and help other people out.”

Steele said the live-in summit was a fantastic experience. “It was great learn more about yourself and meet like-minded people. We have continued to catch up every couple of weeks since.”

Meningococcal disease is a bacterial infection that can kill within 24 hours and targets adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit www.amandayoungfoundation.org.au.