Absolutely Positively Wellington Student Awards

Jamie Scott – Wellington College, Year 13

Jamie is a keen tramper who has shown leadership through the school’s tramping club. Heavily involved with local Scouts – both as a youth leader at the Kea Club and assistant leader at Venturer’s. Jamie is an excellent team player and a valuable part of the school’s social football team, ultimate frisbee and pickleball (An indoor/outdoor racket sport, played with wooden paddles and the ball is similar to a plastic wiffle ball.)

Harry Lancaster – Wellington College, Year 13

As a prefect Harry is a peer support leader and tutor. He is a talented sportsperson being vice-captain of the 2nd XI cricket team as well as participating in football, Surf Lifesaving Inflatable Rescue Boat racing and Eastern Suburbs Cricket premier reserve cricket. Harry coaches junior cricket and has shown great leadership skills through his involvement in the tramping club and outdoor education.

Vidthia Beaglehole, Kauri Sekido and Joshua Toumu’a – Wellington High School, Year 12

The trio worked together to plan and raise money for Unicef and their mahi for the victims of the war in Ukraine. They raised almost $2000 in a day by arranging for the sale of donated goods including second-hand clothing, food, books and bric-a-brac.

Marianna Boless – St Mary’s College, Year 11

Marianna is a vibrant student who is able to engage with girls at all levels, and is a talented and engaging MC. As one of the school’s ‘Tech Angels’ she is responsible for setting up visual and sound equipment for school assemblies. Marianna is also an active member of the Social Action Committee – helping to organise special character events for the school ranging from Mass services to community outreach programmes that involve collecting second hand clothing for people in Ukraine and Tonga and canned food for St Vincent De Paul.

Baxter Neill – Tawa College, Year 11

This year Baxter won Bronze at the Nestlé Golden Chef Hat competition and a Silver at the National Secondary Schools Culinary regional event. Baxter is a foodie and through his love of food he connects with students, staff and members of the community. Baxter is responsible for setting up the Food Club, which plans, creates and serves lunches, with the proceeds going to charity. In 2021, he was responsible for planning and preparing the desserts for the School Leavers Dinner.

Kaita Hummel-Jibiki – Tawa College, Year 12

Kaita is an outstanding academic student who fully involves himself in all aspects of college life. Kaita is involved with debating, as well as being involved with both choral and barbershop groups at the college, the yearbook committee, a philosophy club, badminton, Amnesty International, and Tawa College News (video of college events, sports games, concerts, dance performances etc shot by students and then edited, uploaded and shared with the college community). He has represented the school at numerous events, including this year’s NIWA Science Fair. Kaita is also involved in environmental work within the community and has recently been appointed to the student representative on the Tawa College Board.

Niamh Hanna – Scots College, Year 13

Niamh has made an outstanding contribution to the community through her commitment to lifeguarding, committing every Sunday completing her Inflatable Rescue Boat Driver Licence. Niamh is the first female in her club to reach this standard and is now heavily involved in training other lifeguards for Crewman’s and Driver’s qualifications. In January, Niamh received an Award of Excellence for her involvement in a rescue at Riversdale Beach during one of her patrols. This year, Niamh became a Royal Life Saving NZ instructor.

As well as being a surf lifeguard and lifesaving, Niamh also helps coach the under-12 Waterpolo Team for the Harbour City Waterpolo Club.

Charlotte Horner – Queen Margaret College, Year 12

Charlotte is someone for whom service is an important part of her life. She set up the Butterfly Project to raise money for Wellington Children’s Hospital, successfully raising more than $5,000, with a goal of raising $10,000. She also raised a further $5000 for in honour of a student who was tragically killed at a Dunedin student party. Charlotte is an active member of the basketball team and has taken up leadership roles throughout the school, to promote wellbeing.

Divya Srinivasa – Queen Margaret College, Year 11

Divya has made a significant contribution to her school with her kind, caring and generous outlook. She has created a comprehensive ‘How To’ guide to help improve digital literacy among the older generation. The handbook provides a step-by-step guide on how to use cellphones to perform day to day tasks like internet banking, as well as useful phone features and apps. She has funded the printing and distribution of the book. Divya has also volunteered at the Save the Children Fair as well the school’s after-school care programme for junior students and is also a member of the Wellbeing Student Rōpū.

Rama Awad - Wellington Girls’ College, Year 12

Earlier this year Rama organised a social media campaign, raising awareness of islamophobia in New Zealand. Rama’s petition received more than 90,000 signatures calling for schools and the Ministry of Education to take action against Islamophobic bullying. It was incredibly significant.

Maddalena Dal Sasso – Wellington Girls’ College, Year 12

Over the past three years Maddalena has spent her spare time learning about environmental issues and solutions. She has volunteered more than 500 hours on her local urban farm’s Kaicycle composting scheme. Maddalena is involved in tree plantings and the extermination of exotic, invasive and noxious weeds. She uses this knowledge to educate others. Maddalena is also organising a food waste audit at her school, as well as helping to install well-managed recycling and food waste bins, native tree planting and regular clean-ups.

Nathan Quito – St Patrick’s College (Town) – Year 13

As co-head of the school’s Environmental Group, Nathan organised a beach clean-up in Petone with Year 11 students from his own school alongside those from St Mary’s and St Pat’s Silverstream. The event was such a success they arranged another clean-up at Lyall Bay beach. Nathan is also the student rep on the Board of Trustees.

Nescy Dela Cruz – St Catherine’s College – Year 12

Nescy has consistently shown leadership and commitment. Keen to promote her culture she was responsible for jointly setting up a Filipino Group and organising a religious service and celebration for Filipino Language Week. Nescy is active in her wider Filipino community, through a choir in Newtown and her church in Wainuiomata. Nescy also provides support to younger students. She has played both badminton and volleyball for the school. She is also involved in volunteering, notably at the Wellington City Mission’s Social Supermarket.

Amy Thomson - Newlands College, Year 12

Amy is passionate about making a difference. She is a member of Students Against Dangerous Driving (SADD) at both regional and national levels and sees her role as one of offering ideas, making changes and developing a culture around students making the right choices when driving. Amy has ideas that she wishes to implement (some have been curtailed because of lockdown) both locally, regionally and nationally.

Amy is also a well-respected Year Level House Representative and demonstrates positive leadership skills.

Joshua Taefu - Newlands College, Year 12

Joshua is a proud member of our school and the wider community. His desire is to make a difference for all and to be heard. Joshua has the ability and intellect to take an idea and bring it to fruition, for the betterment of others. While his understated leadership skills are being developed, he is an asset now and he will continue to grow, with a bright future ahead of him.

Sophie Crozier - Onslow College, Year 12

Sophie is an amazing student at Onslow College who shows maturity, leadership, and creativity in everything she does. She is passionate about making a change to her immediate and surrounding community. She is eloquent in how she expresses her ideas and isn’t afraid of telling adults what needs to change. She manages to find success in her extra-curricular activities, while staying committed to her schoolwork.

Jaskiran Kaur Rahi - Queen Margaret College, Year 10

Jaskiran has set up an organisation called ‘Spirit and Soul’ which empowers young women to be the best they can be. She organises workshops for students aged 11-16 years with inspiring speakers and mentors. Her aim is to boost confidence and break barriers in the minds of young women, so that they can make their mark in society. She has hosted events in Wellington, and this year she extended this opportunity to the Auckland region as well. Jaskiran is motivated to foster positive wellbeing and is a leader in our QMC wellbeing team.

Francesca Sigal - St Catherine’s College, Year 12

Francesca is strongly committed to supporting governmental and NGO groups for the betterment of society. She belongs to the United Nations Youth. Francesca expressed a keen interest in the Wellington City Council’s Youth Council, applying for a position on the Council. She has been encouraged to become involved in the Youth Council’s mental health and wellbeing committee. In 2022 she is keen to set up a support group in the College, with a mental health focus. Francesca is also fully committed to supporting the “School Strike 4 Climate Change” group in Wellington. She is an excellent debater.

Veronika Dryburgh - St Catherine’s College, Year 12

Veronika is a self-taught gamer who has shown initiative in embedding the Minecraft software at Central Regional Health School (CRHS) as a way to engage students like herself. She believes that others will benefit from the program, reconnecting them with other students through a safe platform. She has successfully set up the complete program and is training CRHS staff in its use whilst working with other CRHS students. Veronika demonstrates the practical application of the STEM-based knowledge kete and the ability to bring her vision of an enriched digital community to fruition. She aims to extend this to other schools and the wider community.

Kahurangi Douglas - St Mary’s College, Year 10

Kahurangi has a strong commitment to supporting kaupapa Māori within the community, representing our school with pride as a young wahine Māori. For example, she stepped up to fill a senior role representing St Mary’s College at the O’Shea Shield Catholic schools’ competition in Te Reo Māori scripture reading, as we did not have a senior student who was confident to do so. She needed to practise and be familiar with six large scripture passages and proclaim a selected passage in the competition. She showed dignity and honour for her school in taking up this wero (challenge).

Benjamin Brown - St Patrick’s College, Wellington, Year 12

Ben has helped lead the "Integrity through Service" group at school. This group aims to provide support and raise awareness for local charities in need. He has been a key leader in getting multiple activities organised throughout the year; from a teacher versus student basketball game, to collecting and packaging items for the Wellington Women's Refuge and the Kokiri Marae Women's Refuge and raising funds for the Marist Asia Foundation in Ranong, Thailand.
He also helped promote the grocery drive for our own College families suffering hardship due to COVID-19. He has also volunteered to collect for several different street appeals and encouraged other students to join the Service Group. Ben also helped organise our Gumboot Friday appeal and lunchtime activities as part of the Hauora Group.

Rebecca Ngan - Samuel Marsden Collegiate School, Year 12

Rebecca has been involved in coordinating the Student Volunteer Army programme within our school. She has presented in assembly and been instrumental in encouraging students to do volunteer work and service. She organised a speaker to come to school to talk to students about Domestic Violence and its impact. Rebecca has been selected as a Student Volunteer Army ambassador. The Army was set up after the Christchurch earthquake. The ambassadors have 2 meetings a week and are currently involved in a Student Volunteer Army research project.

Senanya Gamalath - Samuel Marsden Collegiate School, Year 12

Senanya has been involved in coordinating the Student Volunteer Army programme within our school. She has presented in assembly and been instrumental about encouraging students to do volunteer work and service. She organised a speaker to come to school to talk to students about Domestic Violence and its impact. Senanya has been selected as a Student Volunteer Army ambassador. The Army was set up after the Christchurch earthquake.

Benjamin Trolove, Lachlan Stinson, Liam Frampton - Scots College, Year 10

Ben, Locky and Liam designed and built a prosthetic arm for a child. Since meeting the child, they have conducted scans of the child’s limb and build evolving designs to give this child an arm, including a bespoke elbow joint and a hand with three jointed fingers. This allows her to take part in activities like riding a bike. The trio adapted their designs to include an upper arm sleeve with built in sensors to allow her to bend her arm and open and close her hand. All of this has been 3D printed.

Sharlene Viliamu-Letalu - Tawa College, Year 12

Sharlene is a student leader of our newly established Pasifika Student Council and Samoan Polygroup. She has dedicated hours of her own time to fundraise, rehearse, source materials and create cultural costumes for Polyfest this year. In addition, as a student leader of the Pasifika Council the group organised two events this year; a student voice presentation to the staff and an NZQA Pasifika evening at the college to help strengthen our connections with our Pasifika community and to give Pasifika families a deeper understanding of NCEA and how to support their children in their future endeavours.

Waimarama Tapiata-Bright - Te Kura Kaupapa Māori O Nga Mokopuna, Tau 12

Waimarama put a lot of energy into the Young Enterprise Scheme this year. Their business “Taraika Tours”, which has generated a lot of interest, offers guided tours in both Te Reo Māori and English around local sites of significance, highlighting sacred, historical tribal landmarks. They launched the business in July by hosting a successful photographic exhibition from Te Papa Tongarewa ‘Ngā Tapuwae ā-Kupe, Kupe Sites – Landmarks of a great Voyager’, presenting landmarks from Kupe’s’ journey throughout Aotearoa. She achieved this despite a busy study and extra-curricular schedule, which highlights the energy and enthusiasm Waimarama puts into everything she does.

Rakairoa Campbell - Te Kura Kaupapa Māori O Nga Mokopuna, Tau 12

As Chief Finance Officer (CFO), Rakairoa was a valuable team member of the Young Enterprise Scheme this year. Their business “Taraika Tours”, offers guided tours in both Te Reo Māori and English around local sites of significance, highlighting sacred, historical tribal landmarks. They launched the business in July by hosting a successful photographic exhibition from Te Papa Tongarewa ‘Ngā Tapuwae ā-Kupe, Kupe Sites – Landmarks of a great Voyager’, presenting landmarks from Kupe’s journey throughout Aotearoa. Rakairoa also contributed to a school and community evening demonstrating the use of budgeting tools, which was well received by visitors.

Demi (Demitra) Araboglos - Wellington East Girls’ College, Year 12

Demi is confident and mature with a strong desire to help others. She's approachable and kind, regularly checking in on her peers. Demi has been a huge part of getting the WEGC Volunteering Club up and running this year. She has continually supported many community and school events by organising a huge number of student volunteers so that Wellington East Girls’ College has gained a great presence in what they do. She has also ensured that there is a social presence and has been a great support to the teacher in charge of the club by ensuring it runs smoothly.

Kathy Nam - Wellington Girls College, Year 12

Kathy Nam is not only involved in the school community but also the wider community. She is a part of various school groups as well as leading some of them. In the wider community she volunteers, organises fundraisers and is overall just a selfless person who tries to help others by doing the best she can. She has put in a lot of effort as well as devoting a countless number of hours over the past four years trying to better her community and leave an impact.