Class Act Awards
They received their awards from the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in August.
Both students also received Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarships from the University of Otago.
The awards recognise Excellence among Otago's young people.
George has NCEA Level 1 and 2 with Excellence and achieved an NZQA Scholarship in History from Year 12. He was the National Spelling Bee Champion in 2014 and is the Dunedin Youth Council Chairperson. He is a founder and Chairperson of Beats in the Streets which raises funds for Dunedin's Night Shelter. George has been the Otago United Nations Youth Council ambassadors' co-ordinator for 2 years. He has been student representative on the Board of Trustees and Student Council Secretary. He won the Ministry of Youth Development Digital Enterprise Award in 2018 and was selected for the Sir Peter Blake Trust Youth Enviroleaders Forum 2018 and the NZ Pinnacle Mentoring Programme 2018. George is a NZ Peace Foundation ambassador. He achieved the top mark in NZ Speech Board Grade 8 and was second in NZ in the Race Unity Speech Competition in 2017. George has been selected for a Rotary Youth Exchange to Austria in 2019 and he knows he has many career options open to him after that. He is interested in studying politics and constitutional law, or working in private sector sustainability and environmentalism. One of his role models is motivational speaker Cam Calkoen.
Bella has NCEA Level 1 and 2 with Excellence and is Logan Park's Head Girl. Bella is interested in leadership and service and is a House leader, Kapa Haka leader, Choir leader, Interact Service Club leader. She has been involved in organising a wide range of activities including Karaoke Week, Youth week, Kapa Haka, 40-Hour Famine and Race Unity events. An accomplished dancer and choreographer Bella has volunteered during her study periods to help with teaching Year 9 Dance all year. She has won awards in Advanced Royal Academy in Dance, Ballet, Latin Ballroom and Standard Ballroom. Bella was part of our Stage Challenge winning team in 2017 and choreographed our Sheilah Winn Shakespeare piece in 2018 winning an award for Best Choreography. She has been a Peer Reading Tutor and Mentor as well as a Reading Ambassador to Primary Schools. Bella plans to study psychology at the University of Otago and hopes to gain a PhD in clinical psychology and to have her own practice. One of Bella's role models is her grandfather, Clive Rennie, former Otago Boys' High School rector.