Building Leadership and Resilience in Years 5–10
On Monday 16 June we were delighted to welcome award-winning youth speaker and wellbeing specialist Daniel Merza to work with our Year 5–10 students across two engaging sessions designed to inspire, empower, and equip them with practical tools for personal growth and resilience.
Daniel’s unique and relatable style resonated strongly with our students, blending storytelling and humour with a mental health focus in a way that captured attention and sparked reflection.
Years 8–10: “Leader of Your Life”
In this powerful session, students explored what it truly means to take ownership of their choices, habits, and future direction. Daniel challenged our Years 8–10 students to step into leadership — not of others, but of themselves. He explored the habits and mindsets that drive success and wellbeing, and provided practical strategies for overcoming procrastination, negative self-talk, and peer pressure.
A highlight of the session was Daniel’s entertaining and insightful use of the “monkey metaphor”. He reminded the students that we all have different “monkeys” in our minds — each representing different thoughts, distractions or emotions:
- Enzo, the emotional monkey: Full of self-doubt with a negative mindset.
- Dizzy, the distracted monkey: Always looking for comfort, avoiding effort and seeking quick rewards like screen time and/or gaming.
- Scooter, the social monkey: Looking to improve social status, giving in to peer pressure and afraid of missing out.
- Moi, the moody monkey with an “I don’t care” attitude.
- Tyson, the tough monkey who fears judgement, feels isolated and lonely but won’t ever seek help.
Daniel encouraged students to train their monkeys, rather than letting them take control. By learning to recognise these inner voices and challenge them, students can develop stronger self-regulation, motivation, and confidence.
Years 5–7: “Beat Bullying”
For our younger students in Years 5–7, Daniel delivered an empowering session on building resilience and confidence in the face of bullying. With warmth and energy, he discussed how bullying often stems from deeper insecurities in others, and why it’s so important not to personalise unkind behaviour.
Students learned about the importance of standing tall, using confident body language, seeking support from trusted adults, and developing emotional resilience. Once again, the “monkey metaphor” was a powerful tool — helping students to identify unhelpful thinking patterns that can amplify the effects of bullying or lead them to believe negative things about themselves.
A Lasting Message
Daniel’s visit left a strong impression on our students. His key message — that every young person has the power to lead their own life and shape their mindset — aligns beautifully with the College’s commitment to our Values and student wellbeing.
We encourage you to continue the conversation at home. Ask your child about the “monkeys” and how they can be trained — you might even discover a few monkeys of your own!
For more about Daniel’s work, visit www.danielmerza.com.
Kylie Wolstencroft
Director of Wellbeing- Penquite
