Hannah Brady is a Hagley College Year 13 student with a difference. She has chosen a path that has enabled her to focus on her passion for Psychology at the University level whilst still a secondary school student!

I caught up with Hannah about her excellent result in her first semester at the University of Canterbury (UC) and how her study is going in general.

I asked Hannah how she found out about University STAR courses and she attributed her knowledge to a meeting with Careers Adviser, Kim Swann. Kim planted the seed with Hannah in Year 11 when Hannah talked to Kim about a career in Psychology. Hannah spent the next two years keeping this goal in the back of her mind allowing it to quietly motivate her towards NCEA.

For those like me that don’t know about STAR courses it is an acronym that stands for Secondary and Tertiary Alignment Resource, which allows students to learn flexibly. One of these options is to do a University paper to gain University experience in an area of interest while still at Secondary School. You can find out more information here. 

Hannah started her PSYCH 105 paper in February 2020. It started with an orientation day for all STAR course students.

Hannah recognises this as a great opportunity to meet like minded students from across the city. She then started lectures after a tour around campus and the all important Student ID in her wallet. Hannah thrived at University. She found out that lectures were recorded and she could access them from home. This was before Covid hit when Hannah began to recognise that she likes that style of learning. She is self-managing and motivated to achieve, and working remotely also suits Hannah given she has a health condition that can make physically being present at all classes difficult. When Covid hit and all University went online, Hannah found herself again thriving in the environment. The highlight of the year was when she sat her end of semester exam online and received a B+ grade. She was delighted with that grade and feels like she really got a taste of University work in a remote environment that suited her. What an awesome achievement that grade is! When I asked Hannah about the grade she responded that she was happy with it but the perfectionist in her wanted an even better grade.

What does the future hold for Hannah? Interestingly, due to Hannah’s health she is studying two subjects via Te Kura (Correspondence School) and attending two classes at Hagley when she can. She is also sitting a Semester 2 Psychology paper. The remote learning experience during Covid has meant that Hannah has continued learning in this way where possible. Her plan is to finish NCEA Level 3, a task she is finding frustratingly slow in terms of progress. She will then study a major in Psychology with a minor in either Sociology or Philosophy. The end goal is Hannah studying Clinical Psychology and then moving into the field of Forensic Psychology. Sounds exciting to me!

When I asked Hannah what attributes a student doing a STAR course at UC might need, she thought that a drive and dedication to the course would be fundamental. Also, a student that can handle stress well might be more likely to succeed.

Hannah came to Hagley as a Year 11 student. She didn’t achieve NCEA Level 1 that year, but she put a lot of effort into her Year 12 year where she bounced back achieving her NCEA Level 2 Certificate with Merit. Hannah wanted this included in the story to show people that you can bounce back if you keep an eye on what you are trying to achieve. Her advice for students starting at Hagley at Year 11, 12 or 13 is to look closely at the subjects offered at Hagley and don’t just pick what you did at your old school. Other advice includes making friends with the Careers team and find a teacher you really connect with and stick with them!

Great job, Hannah - what an awesome achievement! We look forward to watching your career and future with interest.