A couple of months later, the Year 2 student found out he was the winner of a NAIDOC Medal of Excellence.

“I pretty much forgot about it until they announced it at assembly,” Sonny said.

“When they started talking about it I remembered.

“My tummy was filled with excitement. I got up and I was nervous because it was a bigger award than all the other ones I have gotten.”

Sonny’s Medal of Excellence was presented to him by Lionel Lovett, Parkes Public School’s Student Learning Support Officer and Wiradjuri Language Teacher.          .

Forty three medals of excellence were awarded, with Sonny the only Parkes student to be awarded one.

A total of 592 entries were received from nine schools in our Local Government Area across four competition categories. 

The categories included essay writing for students in Years 10 to 12, creative writing for Years 7 to 9, short story writing for Years 3 to 6 and the colouring in competition Sonny entered, for students in Kindergarten to Year 2. 

“It was a picture of a platypus and a fish,” Sonny said. 

“I chose to do mine in the indigenous colours – red, black and yellow.

“Everyone else did normal colours.”

Sonny is the son of Michelle and Matthew MacGregor and has a sister Maely (11).

“Mum was at assembly that day, she got a big surprise,” nine-year-old Sonny said.

“I was really proud of myself, I like drawing and colouring in. 

“When I got home, I told dad and he was really surprised too! 

“Some days I trick him and don’t tell him if I got something at school and then surprise him with it later.”

Sonny was so excited he rang all the family and told them about his impressive achievement. 

“As soon as they came to visit I got my medal out and showed them,” he said.

“It is really heavy, it was pulling my neck down when I wore it at assembly.” 

Sonny enjoys playing rugby union, touch and cricket, and riding scooters and skateboards.

“I like swimming too,” he said.

“I made it to Western for swimming in the relay team.