Ella Smillie - Arts Prefect

My whole life I've grown up and schooled here in Dunedin - a true Dunedin homie! Before St Hilda’s, I attended Balmacewen Intermediate School and before that I spent most of my primary school days at St Joseph's Cathedral school. As a kid growing up in Dunedin, I had always been eager to go to high school and wear those spunky blazers - not yet knowing if I would be wearing the bright blue or navy one. My older sister started high school a few years before me at Otago Girls' High, so I had assumed that would be where I was headed. But that was until I went to the Hilda's Open Day, loved it and have never looked back (plus the bright blue looked much better).

St Hilda’s has offered me so many exciting opportunities while I've been here. I have gone on many sporting tournaments, traveled to Wellington with my hip hop coaching and of course made lifelong friendships. The teachers here have helped take my learning to a whole new level of thinking. Especially the late Mr Smith and Mr Dean, who had both taught myself and other art students how to communicate our ideas through art and how to improve our skills.

For the past four years, I have done nothing but try out as many activities that St Hilda's has to offer. I have been involved in touch, dance, rugby, volleyball, the Student Council, hip hop coaching, netball and the Formal Committee. St Hilda's has so many extra curricular activities to be involved in, so I've learned that you’ve just got to give everything a go!

Becoming a prefect was a very different experience for me. I’ve sent more emails this year than I have my whole life! But seeing that everything we do as a perfect team makes a difference is what keeps us going. As part of my role with Maia, we organise ‘arts items’ every week for assemblies, and events such as house singing, the Term 2 art exhibition, as well as a big Arts Assembly each term, so we are never short of things to do!

What do I think I’ll be doing next year? At the moment, I don't really know, possibly a gap year or potentially study. Unlike some people, I don't mind not knowing what awaits me next year - it makes it all the more exciting! I do know that I love media studies, so I could study something around that field.

I’m excited for what the rest of my time at St Hilda's has to offer me, and am excited for the future!