Aliya Danzeisen, a former teacher at Hillcrest High School (HHS), has been recognised in the King’s Birthday honours for her services to the Muslim community and women and included in the New Zealand Order of Merit.

This prestigious recognition highlights her dedication and significant contributions.

For 14 years, Aliya led the Spanish department at Hillcrest High School, where she grew the programme and elevated the classes to new heights. Known to her students as Señora Danzeisen, she was a strong proponent for culturally inclusive teaching and cross-curricular solutions. In addition to her interactions with her students throughout the years, some of her favourite memories include classroom student competitions, bringing live alpacas to school, creating cutout boards for students to pose as tango dancers, bullfighters, or famous paintings, and organising annual cascarones and piñata-making activities. She was also an early supporter of Pasifika camps and worked to help teachers improve their cultural responsiveness through the Kahui Ako initiative.

Reflecting on her time at Hillcrest, Aliya fondly recalls, “Bringing the Spanish language and Latin American cultures alive in the classroom was always a joy.  The students' excitement when they made connections with the  interacting with live alpacas or participating in cultural activities was incredibly rewarding.”

Aliya left HHS in 2021, when she became the national coordinator of the Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand (IWCNZ).  She continues leading the organisation working on community development and overseeing initiatives that support and uplift Muslim women in Aotearoa. Her leadership and vision are driving positive change and are supporting better outcomes  and equality within the community.   Aliya has also consulted with the Ministry of Education on culturally appropriate approaches to improve  student engagement and community involvement