Grace Knox and Xiu Chen Han will lead the school for the next year, with Emily Claxton and Claire McKenna as their deputies.

Both captains said they felt a mixture of excitement and surprise when told the news, and have now turned their attentions towards their new leadership roles.

“I wasn’t expecting to go for it at all, but I decided to get out of my comfort zone and give it a shot,” Grace said.

“I want to become more confident with public speaking, and I think I can be a positive influence and bring something to the table.

“I consider myself an approachable person, so the students can come to me and talk about their issues and ask their questions.”

Like Grace, Xiu Chen is a graduate of Merimbula Public School.

The aspiring medical student said his focus will be on building the relationship between the staff and students.

“I didn’t expect it – I hoped I’d just be lucky enough to become vice-captain,” he said.

“I’m glad that people think I’ll be a good representative for them, and I believe I’ll be able to able to establish a good connection between the students and the teachers.

“When the teachers and students are working together to address any issues, it creates a better environment for everybody.”

Year adviser Jason Morgan said the pair are ideal role models for their peers.

Mr Morgan said they were elected from a group of seven “outstanding” nominees, and that he is looking forward to working with the group as a whole as they embark on their HSC studies.

“The feeling among the staff is that it’s probably the strongest group of nominees we’ve had, and we would have been happy to see any one of them elected,” he said.

“Grace does a lot for the school in terms of her representation – she’s a fantastic sportsperson and she’s a good leader.

“Grace is just a great role model – she’s always polite to the other students and her teachers, she tries very hard in everything she does and she doesn’t get herself into trouble.

“Academically, Xiu Chen is the number one student at the school at the moment and he always puts in a great effort.

“He’s a very friendly and polite person and again, his record at the school in terms of behaviour is the kind of record we would like to see for every student.”

Mr Morgan also praised the two new vice-captains.

“Emily’s heavily involved in her music and does a lot both inside and outside school to promote us in that way,” she said.

“Claire is also very keen on her studies and is a great sportswoman – she’s done a lot of travelling, so she’s very mature and well-spoken.

“She knows that there’s more out there than just Eden Marine High School and will be a very good representative for the other students.”