Student Leaders 2021

Introducing our Student Leaders 2021

Lisa Evans (Head Girl)

Lisa enjoys that Otumoetai College has a wide range of opportunities to get involved in, both in and outside of the classroom. She also likes the fact that there are a lot of teachers that help you to enjoy learning. During her time at the college Lisa has been involved in Football, Badminton, Waterpolo, Tennis, and Futsal. She has completed her Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh and is working towards her Gold. She is a member of the Symphonic Band and the Environment committee. Highlights of her time here at school have been the Great Barrier Island trip in Year 10, and all the tramps for her Duke of Edinburgh award. Her goal this year is to make connections with students in every year of the school in order to find out how individuals feel about their schooling life and work to make it better in any way she can. Her favourite subjects are Food Technology, Outdoor Education, as well as Earth and Space science. Next year she hopes to attend University and find her calling.

Daniel Weiss (Head Boy)

Daniel loves that Otumoetai College has so many incredible teachers and that the school offers a lot of great opportunities within a supportive environment. He has appreciated making new friends and getting closer with his existing friendship groups. He enjoys any activity out in nature, whether that’s trying to wakeboard or navigating difficult terrain. His goals for 2021 are to help inspire students to become leaders themselves, to be approachable for every student, and to build strong inter school relations with the other

head students. His favourite subjects are Biology and English and Daniel is aiming for a career that has a significant beneficial impact on the planet - primarily the natural world. A little known fact about Daniel is that he is a Swiss citizen and has just been conscripted to the Swiss military!

Chase Winder (Head Boy)

As one of our head students, Chase lists his best experiences at Otumoetai College to date as being his trip to Rarotonga with the Kapa Haka group in year 9. He loved getting to know the group so well and making new friends. Chase enjoys the diversity at Otumoetai College along with the amazing opportunities for growth and the exposure to new ideas and perspectives. His goals for 2021 are to gain more confidence when speaking publicly and to be visible as he gets to know more of the younger students. He lists his favourite subjects as Chemistry, Physics and Digital Science. He aspires to work in the medical field, possibly as a research Pharmacist, or something similar. Chase loves to bake, and chocolate chip cookies are his favourite thing to make and eat. However, he doesn’t like cleaning up the mess afterwards.

Rose Mayhead (Head Girl)

Rose loves the amount of opportunities our school has to offer, along with the supportive environment and how students are pushed to explore their potential. Her best experience at school has been joining Poutama. She enjoys the welcoming environment and the lasting friendships made. Rose enjoys dancing and spending time with her animals. Her goals this year are to endorse Level 3 NCEA and to start conversations with new people and grow in confidence. Her favourite subjects are Te Reo Māori, Media Studies and Photography. Rose’s career aspirations will have something to do with resource management or environmental welfare. A little known fact about Rose is that she plays croquet.

Rachel Dunn (Creative Arts)

Rachel rates inclusiveness, care, support, opportunities and high standards as the aspects she most appreciates about Otumoetai College. Her highlights to date have been the trips to Great Barrier Island in 2018 and for the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award in 2020. During her time at school Rachel has been involved in Badminton (both as a player and coach), Volleyball, Duke of Edinburgh Award and tramping. Her goals for 2021 are to endorse with Excellence, complete her Gold Duke of Edinburgh, run the Creative Arts Awards events as co-leader of the committee as successfully as possible, and to involve herself in as much as she can to make the most of her last year at Otumoetai. Her favourite subjects are Soft Materials, Business, English and Sociology. Ultimately, she wants to work in an international corporate business managing the company or teach Business at college level. A little known fact about Rachel is that she has been stung by a blue bottle jellyfish.

Waiari Kohu-Matika (Creative Arts)

Waiari appreciates the school culture, subject opportunities and the support of the teachers and students. She is involved in Poutama, the Ruamano committee, Kapa haka and the school band. Waiari loves any opportunity to perform and entertain on stage and has set her goal for 2021 to achieve a higher learning in level 3 NCEA to improve on the chance of getting into Massey University for fashion and design is wider. Waiari’s favourite subject is Sociology and she aspires to be either a tailor, archaeologist, or to work in the area of performing arts. A little known fact about Waiari is that she has been singing for as long as she can remember, and has continued to use this talent as a way to express how she feels.

Millie Tisch (Special Events Committee)

Millie loves the range of opportunities that Otumoetai College has to offer. Over the years Millie has involved herself in the Duke of Edinburgh award, the Great Barrier trip, athletics, the Summerhill leadership academy, as well as hockey umpiring for the intermediate. This year Millie wants to lead the Special Events committee with enthusiasm and positivity, and work together with the team to create a memorable ball for the senior students. Her favourite subjects are Accounting, Economics and English. Next year, Millie will most likely pursue a conjoint degree in commerce and law, and then see where life takes her. A little known fact is that she is obsessed with waffles.

Moses Caldwell (Special Events Committee) / (PŪWHENUA Whare Leader)

During his time at Otumoetai College Moses has been involved in the 1st XI Football, Senior A volleyball, and working. He enjoys all of his subjects equally, and what he most likes about Otumoetai College is the number of opportunities that are available across a wide range of activities, including sports, the arts, and academic studies. His most rewarding experience at the college was endorsing NCEA Level 2 with Excellence and the Year 10 Great Barrier Camp. He has yet to settle on a career aspiration. A little known fact about Moses is that he lived in Uganda for 5 years.

Amy McAulay (Hauora Committee)

Amy is involved in the Trek magazine team as well as helping to organise the school 40 Hour Famine events. She enjoys everything from her classes to making a Christmas mural with friends that spanned the entirety of the Media Studies room. Amy also volunteers for the Otanewainuku Kiwi Trust, helping out our native wildlife, and spending a few weekends handling the odd dead rodent. Amy is keen to implement some health related initiatives that make a difference for the people in our school. Her favourite subject is Digital Science and she is aiming to endorse NCEA Level 3 with Excellence and is interested in working as an engineer or in the tech industry. A little known fact about Amy is that she was the 200,000th person to visit an aquarium in a small town in Japan.

Hannah Walpole (Hauora Committee)

Hannah rates her most enjoyable experiences to date as being the Year 10 Great Barrier trip and the Year 11 Dance Trip to Los Angeles. “No matter your strengths or hobbies, there is always something to get involved in within the school, be it educational, sporting, cultural, or the performing arts.” Hannah is involved in volleyball, netball, and tennis as a player and coach. She also works at the local supermarket. Her favourite Subjects are English, Chemistry and Elite Sports. She enjoys the inclusive nature of our school and the wide range of opportunities available to all students. Hannah would like to pursue a career in medical research, neuroscience or in veterinary science hopefully in the East or West Coast of the United States.

Meg Kale (Sports Committee) / (PŪWHENUA Whare Leader)

Meg is grateful for the lifelong connections and friendships she has made while at Otumoetai College. She credits the great teachers and staff that have made her learning more interesting and challenging as well as being able to take advantage of the wide range of opportunities to extend her personal growth. The Great Barrier island trip was a wonderful example of this, encompassing everything

she loves about operating outside her comfort zone and learning more about herself. During her time at college, Meg had been involved in volleyball, netball, and beach volleyball. Her favourite subjects are Sports Science, Health and Biology. Meg’s ultimate goal is to become a physical education teacher. Meg admits to being the world’s worst baker and manages to burn everything she attempts to make.

Zach Reeder (Sports Committee) / (MAUNGANUI Whare Leader)

Zach loves the large range of opportunities that our school offers. It has allowed him to experience a range of different sporting and academic events so that he could find out what really interests him in life. He lists being a student leader as the highlight of his time at school as it gives him the opportunity to help younger students that are trying to find themselves and in doing so, leave the school a better place than when he arrived. Zach is involved in surf life saving, swimming, water polo and lifeguarding. He enjoys Sport Science, Business and Physics. His goals for 2021 are to create a sporting attraction to the school, so that the future intermediate students say “I want to go to this school, because it is best for my future”. Zach would like to travel the world with surf life saving, but is also interested in being a stockbroker or a future in politics. Zach lives by the quote, “It is not a disgrace to be beaten, the greatest disgrace is to quit’’.

Reed Parr (Publicity Committee)

Reed has appreciated the wide range of opportunities that the college provides which have allowed him to enrich himself in the activities and subjects that he loves. He has found a deeper love for these things thanks to the college’s involvement in his journey. Great Barrier is listed as the most memorable and exciting experience in his college career so far. The friendships, memories and skills gained from this trip have changed his life. Reed’s passions include water polo, sound and lighting, as well as school publicity. In 2021 Reed wants to excel in all his endeavours and help other students in his role as student leader. His favourite subjects are media studies and metal work and he aspires to working in the media or electrical industry.

Amy Charman Moore (Publicity Committee)

Amy loves the diversity of Otumoetai College, whether that be the breadth of backgrounds within the student body or the wide range of opportunities that students are offered. Last summer Amy was given the opportunity to attend the annual World Vision Senior Scholarship Summit. It was here that she met 29 other inspiring young leaders and developed her skills in the realms of global justice and advocacy. As well as being involved in the symphonic band, Amy has been involved in rowing, both as a rower and now as a coach. Her goals for 2021 are to provide a space where the people around her and with whom she works with, feel safe and supported. She strives to add value to other people’s lives. Amy lists her favourite subjects as Biology, along with a particular interest in Media Studies. Amy plans on entering a biomedical science course at university, so her future career will likely be something relating to that.

Sasha Solomono (Ruamano Committee)

Sasha enjoys being surrounded by a variety of people and working with different personalities to create relationships and learn new things. She credits Poutama for providing her with the opportunity to get to know her teachers and fellow students at a deeper level. One of her best experiences in life, not just while at school was the Year 10 camp at Great Barrier. During her time at school Sasha has been involved in Kapa Haka, volleyball, basketball, Rugby Sevens, netball, as well as coaching volleyball and basketball. Her goals for 2021 are to be selected

in the New Zealand Junior Women Volleyball team, to endorse NCEA Level 3 with Excellence and to learn from her mistakes. She wants to take every opportunity to better herself as well as encouraging people to break out of their comfort zone and try new things.

Kororia Solomon (Ruamano Committee)

Kororia loves the bonds and relationships that she has built over the last four years at kura along with the variety of subjects that are available here. She appreciates the amount of support and awhi that she has received from her teachers. She rates the growth of her mōhiotanga (understanding) and matauranga (knowledge) on Te Ao Māori (The Māori World) as her best experience at Otumoetai College. Through choosing Te Reo Māori, she has been able to understand and develop her skills and fluency in Te Reo. From knowing different Pūrakau (Stories) on how we came to be, to learning the different aspects of our tīkanga. She finally feels connected to her people. Kororia has been involved in Kapa Haka, is a Tātāriki and is also involved in the Ruamano committee. These opportunities have developed her leadership skills and broadened her perspective on the diversity within our school. Her goal is to finish her high school years, having done everything she possibly can to empower her teina to strive for excellence and achieve their potential. Karoria’s favourite subject is Te Reo Māori and her career aspirations are in the direction of Law, Education and Politics. A little unknown fact about Kororia is that she loves seafood.

Flora Clarke (Environment Committee)

Flora loves the opportunities offered at school, which have given her the chance to try a range of activities and to get involved. She rates her best experiences to date as the trip to Great Barrier Island in her Year 10 year and again in Year 12 for her Duke of Edinburgh badge. This year she wants to do her best academically and sportingly, and inspire students at Otumoetai College towards environmental actions and a more sustainable school! She really enjoys English and History, as well as Outdoor Education. Flora wants to study law or possibly an international relations degree. A little known fact about Flora is that she has swum in the Nile and has owned a turtle.

Pipi Kendall (Environment Committee)

Pipi enjoys the opportunities available to students at this school, both academic and athletic. She has always felt like there is always something new and interesting on offer. Her best experiences in the college to date are the Great Barrier island trip in Year 10 and the Duke of Edinburgh last year. Pipi loves surfing, tramping, travelling, as well as supporting the School Strike for Climate team. Her favourite subjects are Marine studies, Physics, and Graphics. Pipi wants to want to encourage others in the school to take real action in their own lives for the environment. A little known fact about Pipi is that she grew up in a tiny village called Whangapoua in the Coromandel. Her first school was both a primary and intermediate school of only 60 kids. Pipi aspires to be an environmental engineer, marine biologist, or ecologist.

Rosie Gordon (Mentoring Committee)

Rosie likes the fact that the teachers at Otumoetai College treat students with respect, and that they are always available to answer questions. Her highlights to date have been the ever popular Great Barrier trip in Year 10 as well as being a part of various netball teams, Chemquest, supporting the Special Olympics and Athlete Nation. Her goal is to give back to the college community in order to support student’s academic and mental well-being. Her favourite

subjects are Chemistry, English and Biology. Her goal is to study human and behavioural science at Victoria university and have a career in marketing psychology and business. Rosie is the youngest and last of three siblings to attend Otumoetai College.

Harry Parkes (Mentoring Committee)

One of Harry’s favourite memories of his time at Otumoetai College was the Year 10 Great Barrier trip. Exploring the Barrier with an awesome group of people was exciting, challenging, thrilling, demanding, and some of the most fun he’s ever had. Harry is a dedicated member of the Oats Robotics club. Almost every Saturday morning you will find him, along with the rest of the team, in Design Room 1 working on building, or programming robots. His goal for 2021 is to put in his best effort and to endorse Level 3 with Excellence. He also wants to make the mentoring committee a success. Harry loves problem solving in calculus, learning how different phenomena occur in physics, programming in digital science, and spending time outside during Outdoor Education. Harry sees programming as a big part of his future hopefully with some math and physics mixed in somewhere.