Hetty Finney Waters and Loji Moharram

Hetty Finney Waters

Whether it be on the page or up on stage, Hetty Finney Waters has plenty she wants to talk about.

A passion for sharing her ideas has led the 18-year-old to success in writing, debating and public speaking.

She first started writing essays in her spare time when she started high school, but began entering competitions and taking it more seriously in year 11.

She always writes on issues she cares about, one of her most passionate topics being climate change.

She believes it is an issue that is universal and urgent for everyone.

Her essays act as an outlet for her thoughts, but also as a way for her to learn more about topics. By spreading awareness and communicating those ideas in writing, she also helps develop her own understanding.

In 2020 she won the National Council of Women Dawn Ibbotson Essay Competition with a piece on the link between gender inequality and climate change. Last year she won the national Charles Brasch Young Writers’ Essay Competition and had her essay published in literary publication Landfall.

Her passion for the environment does not stop on the page, as for two and a-half years she acted as regional chairwoman of the Town Belt Kaitiaki Student Leadership Team, a group which works with the Department of Conservation and local councils to help preserve the Dunedin Town Belt.

Hetty first became interested in activism in intermediate school, where she started to explore some of her ideas.

She also has a passion for public speaking and debating, which she sees as other outlets to voice her opinions and promote activism.

Last year she placed second in the school Speech Fest and was on the senior A debating team.

She is proud to co-lead the school’s Amnesty Team, which looks at issues within the school and promotes equality.

She is also the Otepoti Youth Vision Partnership Group LGBTQ+ youth representative and co-chair of the school’s Queer-Straight Alliance.

She feels honoured to act in so many leadership roles and sees it as a way to ensure younger pupils have the representation she wished she had as a junior.

Achievements: Academic prefect (2022); Blake Inspire scholarship (2022); Town Belt Kaitiaki regional chairwoman (2022), committee member (2021); Amnesty leader (2022); Otepoti Youth Vision Partnership LGBTQ+ youth rep (2022); Senior A debating (2021); Dawn Ibbotson national writing competition winner (2020); Charles Brasch national essay competition (2021).

Role model: Former debating team member Louis Cavanagh and Town Belt Kaitiaki co-chairman Ben Burrow.

Hopes for the future: To study at the University of Otago and continue being involved in social issues.

Loji Moharram

Growing up Loji Moharram questioned everything.

She often brought freshly developed opinions to her father, who would sit down with her and work through her argument, then see if she still believed in it.

She never felt like her voice was dismissed, and now at 16 years old she realises how fortunate she was.

Loji likes to ensure others can have their voice heard too and pursues leadership roles to enable it.

She co-leads the school Amnesty group, which has the aim of creating a safer space for people at school.

Some of the projects they have done include chalk for support, where pupils gathered to write supportive messages on the school courts, and Freedom Week, in which each day was dedicated to different human rights issue.

One of the days during Freedom Week is dedicated to pupils being free to come to school in their own cultural dress, which was a really nice environment she felt proud to have helped create.

Part of her motivation comes from wanting to create good representation for Muslims and Egyptians by doing great work and breaking down stereotypes.

"Family, religion and culture are all really important to me."

She attributes a lot of her success to her parents.

Having her opinions respectfully challenged growing up also led her into debating, as she wanted to learn how to correctly deliver an argument.

At first she did not think too much of the pursuit, but after seeing the seniors debate she was inspired.

She loves public speaking and debating is another way she can make her voice heard.

She is a huge fan of science and the pursuit of knowledge.

"There’s always more you can know."

She was one of 10 pupils nationally to receive a scholarship offered by the Royal Society to attend the Professor Harry Messel International Science School, where she was exposed to a broad range of science areas.

She also tutors pupils in biology, English, chemistry and statistics.

Her passion for both science and community is why she is pursuing a career in medicine, a field which focuses on helping people.

Achievements: Academic prefect (2022); Sydney Science School Scholarship (2022); German Australian Language Competition high distinction (2020, 2021); chemistry, biology Olympiad training groups (2022); Otago Science Quiz winning team (2022); Enviroschools leader (2022); Amnesty cultural co-ordinator (2022); school orchestra (2022); debating Dunedin Development Squad (2022); school wellbeing team (2020, 2021); Dean’s leadership award (2022); peer tutor (2022); year 12 mentor (2022); Diversity Strategy initiative (2022); Level 1, 2 excellence endorsement (2021).

Hopes for the future: To study medicine at the University of Otago.

Role model: Her parents, for embodying everything that is important to her.