CSPD students recognised in Refugee Week Creative Competition

Photo: Joint Secondary Video Winner, Joseph Chahine from Parramatta Marist High

Over 125 students from 10 Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) schools have been recognised for their empathy and powerful storytelling as part of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Australia Refugee Week Creative Competition.

Held as part of Refugee Week under the 2026 theme, ‘A Million Stories’, the competition invited students to respond creatively through artwork, writing or video, sharing messages of hope and belonging for refugees and people seeking asylum.

JRS Schools and Community Engagement Officer, Kristen Lazarus, said this year’s entries were inspiring.

“We were incredibly inspired by the nearly 150 entries we received from students across Australia, each one reflecting thoughtful messages of belonging, hope, and the richness of a multicultural Australia,” said Kristen.

Photo: Primary Artwork Winner, Maria Gerges from St Patrick’s Primary Guildford

CSPD students made an outstanding contribution to the competition, their moving submissions reflecting the compassion and social justice values nurtured through Catholic education.

“We were delighted to welcome so many CSPD students and their families to our Refugee Week exhibition…a wonderful celebration of art, storytelling and community. Their creativity demonstrates how young people can help build a more welcoming and inclusive community through the stories they choose to tell,” JRS’s Kristen Lazarus said.

An impressive 14 of the 19 shortlisted works were created by CSPD students.

Among the award recipients were:

Primary School Artwork
Maria Gerges (St Patrick's Primary Guildford) - First Place
Tala Haddad (St Patrick's Primary Guildford) - Second Place
Arianna (St Mary's Primary Rydalmere) - Third Place
Ethan (St Mary's Primary Rydalmere) - Highly Commended
Rose (St Mary's Primary Rydalmere) - Highly Commended
Elina (St Mary's Primary Rydalmere) - Highly Commended

Secondary School Artwork
Bianca Mekdess (Cerdon College Merrylands) - Second Place
Kashish Bafna (Catherine McAuley Westmead) - Highly Commended

Secondary School Video
Benjamin Kalouche and Joseph Chahine (Parramatta Marist High) - First Place

Secondary School Written Work
Evanshka Jeyasotharan (Catherine McAuley Westmead) - First Place
Maryam Yamayan (Caroline Chisholm College Glenmore Park) - Second Place
Alexander Tran (Parramatta Marist High) - Third Place
Alphen Albert (Parramatta Marist High) - Highly Commended
Jared Caucan (St Patrick's Primary Parramatta) - Second Place

Photo: Third Place Primary Artwork by Arianna from St Mary's Primary Rydalmere

Photo: Second Place Primary Artwork by Tala Haddad from St Patrick's Primary Guildford

The shortlisted students and their families were invited to attend a Refugee Leadership Exhibition hosted by JRS Australia in Surry Hills on Friday 26 June, where their work was showcased alongside moving stories and creative pieces highlighting the experiences and resilience of refugees and people seeking asylum.

Many of the student artists, writers and filmmakers also shared personal reflections about their work, with some drawing on their own family migration and refugee experiences to create deeply meaningful entries.

The competition provided students with a valuable opportunity to engage with the stories of others, reflect on the importance of welcome and inclusion and use their creativity to advocate for compassion and justice.