Where are they now? It’s always exciting to learn about what happened to past students and both Meletta’s and Amber-Janes stories show that an Ōtūmoetai College education provides an important grounding for future endeavours.
Meletta Chow (Yung) What year did you graduate from Ōtūmoetai College? 2008 Current job title / role? Dentist How long have you been in this role? 5 years. I am currently working at Tooth Fairy Dental in Bethlehem and Mount Maunganui. Prior to this I worked in Balclutha, a small town in the deep South. What is a lasting memory you have from your time at Ōtūmoetai College? My time on the student executive was pretty memorable. To earn the respect to hold that role in
my final year and give back to the school community was rewarding. What was your most valuable life lesson learnt during your college years Challenge yourself and have fun. How well did you feel Ōtūmoetai College prepared you for tertiary study / the workforce? There is so much more I got out of high school than just academic preparedness. I was involved in the school magazine Trek from year 10 and played Netball the whole way through. This helped me with independence, accountability, time management and communication. Did you know what you wanted to do when you left college? Yes, but if you don’t know what you want to do right now that’s ok! I was able to take the required subjects and having an end goal kept me motivated . If you’re undecided, keep a broad range of subjects to
keep your options open. If there’s a certain career you might interested in have a chat to someone in that industry or ask to observe them. Why did you pursue your current area of work? I wanted a challenging hands on job where I could make a real difference in people’s lives. Oral Health is incredibly important. It affects overall health and well being, self esteem and confidence. But
too many people neglect going to the dentist out of fear or anxiety. I’m in a perfect position to change that mindset and make a positive difference. I love my job and am particularly enjoy chatting with current 29
