Student Celebrations

Student Celebrations Success for Amy

2020 has been a successful year for Amy CharmanMoore. She has received a Merit Award for her work as a Year 9 peer mentor, a Bronze Award for the 2020-21 New Zealand Biology Olympiad programme, as well as a scholarship to the World Vision Senior Leadership Summit for her work helping to organise the 40 Hour Famine event this year. A fantastic effort Amy!

Hyerin Cho - NZ National Youth Arts Awards Finalist

Hyerin travelled to Hamilton in September for the New Zealand National Youth Arts awards held at the Arts Post Galleries. Hyerin’s artwork was chosen from hundreds of entries to make the Finals. Hyerin can be very proud of her achievement as can the Otumoetai College Art Department for the encouragement and nurturing of Hyerin’s considerable talent.

Sharna take out National Award

The Graeme Dingle Foundation runs an Annual Excellence Awards. This year, Year 13 student Sharna Steer, who was a Peer Mentor with 9ELR, won the Stars Peer Mentor Excellence Award for the Bay of Plenty. Sharna was then nominated for the National Award - only three Peer Mentors across the country receive this. Sharna was one of the three students who took out the award!!

Sharna has been an exceptional mentor this year and has gone above and beyond in her duties and has worked hard to earn this recognition. The time, effort, care and support she has given her Y9 students this year has been outstanding. Sharna received her award on October 14 at a ceremony in Auckland in front of many high profile personalities.

Student Celebrations

Local girl Anya Hawkins - Coming to the rescue in Omokoroa

Being among the first at the scene of a medical emergency doesn’t phase Anya Hawkins. The Omokoroa resident and Year 13 student leader at Otumoetai College has just been accepted as a Medical First Responder for the Omokoroa Fire Service. She will be the youngest member of the team. This is a vital and hugely responsible job. The role of First Responder teams is to attend medical emergencies. They are usually first on the scene, caring for casualties until an ambulance arrives or more advanced medical care can be provided. This work is not right for everyone - Anya was one of 4 people who had their inductions at the same time, but she is the only one who has decided to continue. It was a conversation over dinner some months ago that got gave her the idea and led her to investigate the possibility of volunteering as a First Responder. “I started looking into medical things last year as a possible career path” says Anya. Mum suggested it as an option.” Anya’s first steps have been completing a first aid course, undergoing an interview with Chief Fire Officer Ian Blunt and attending shifts as an observer. She now carries a pager full-time. She is currently waiting to complete a 3-day First Responder course. These courses only run once there are enough people wanting to attend. Once she has completed that part of her training she will be on 24-hour call every 3rd week, working as part of a team. That’s quite a commitment for a busy young woman but it is a no-brainer for Anya, who is currently studying for NCEA Level 3 and co-leads the school’s student Publicity Committee. She hopes to go on to study paramedicine or radiology next year. “I want to help people, and I am learning heaps – learning about people and gaining medical skills at the same time”.