“I think it’ll be great,” he said. He chose to follow Mr King because he believed learning and wellbeing were both essential for schools, who needed to make sure students were well looked after and their education was properly cultivated. With a possible political future in mind, Max was also keen to gain some insight into the world of government service.

“The more I’ve been involved with the SRC, the more I’ve realised how important these role models are in the whole of society,” he said. 

“That’s really made me think ‘perhaps this is somewhere where I want to go afterwards’, because I enjoy, you know, just leading people and making decisions that will further society and make it better.” He said his family also played a key role, and had always encouraged him to think about political issues.

“They’ve raised me in politics,” he said.

Max will also have the chance to voice his opinions on educational policy on Tuesday when he joins 20 other NSW students for a series of forums and workshops.

“There’s certain things that they’re talking about implementing in schools and they’re going to get our input on it," he said. 

A prestigious program, Max was chosen on the strength of his written application, which outlined his leadership experience, interests and what he hoped to learn, and on the endorsement of school principal Lindsay Paul.

After being officially inducted as school captain on Thursday, Max is looking forward to leading Macintyre’s new student leadership team.

“That’s going to be great. I think it’ll be full of opportunities,” he said.