Entrepreneurial brothers Oscar and Josh Gonzalez are the joint winners of the Young Canberra Citizen of the Year awards.
Announced on Friday 12 April, Oscar and Josh, aged 23 and 22, were recognised for their entrepreneurial spirit, business skills and commitment to the community.
The brothers founded PKUP, a driving service that allows customers to be taken home in their own car, ensuring customers and their cars return home safely. As part of PKUP’s business model, the brothers donate a portion of each trip to a charity. They also volunteer for a number of not-for-profit organisations and community groups across Canberra.
Minister for Children, Youth and Families Rachel Stephen-Smith said the brothers are “a great example of what young people can achieve”.
“Their commitment to building a business that focuses on connections with people and giving back where they can is to be admired,” Ms Stephen-Smith said. “This is only the beginning for Josh and Oscar; I’m sure they will go on to achieve many more milestones and continue to be great representatives for young people in Canberra.”
The Young Canberra Citizen of the Year Awards recognise individuals and groups of young people aged between 12 and 25 years who have made a significant contribution through their personal endeavours or who have been actively involved in the ACT community.
The 2019 recipients include: Young Canberra Citizen of the Year Junior Award – Lily Haskins, who volunteers at Stella Bella Children’s Centre; Personal Achievement – Shiralee Sankey, who is a passionate advocate for disadvantaged youth and had campaigned for more youth services in Canberra; Group Achievement – Young Women Speak Out, who advocate on issues affecting young women in Canberra; Individual Community Services – Tilleah Roselli, who is a Youth Leader for the CREATE Foundation supporting children and young people in out of home care; Arts and Multimedia – Julia Faragher, whose project ‘From Amateur to Artist’ aims to give young Canberra women of various backgrounds the opportunity to talk about the intersection of their art with their lives; and Environment and Sustainability – James Jayatilaka, whose’ ‘Cans in Crates’ program encourages environmentally responsible behaviour.
More stories:
