Meet the Prefects
My past 11 years of school life have been what you could call eventful and somewhat challenging. From starting primary school in my small village in Europe, to finishing up my schooling journey in Dunedin, the time in-between has definitely shaped me into the person I am today. My time at St Hilda’s has been most likely the one that has helped me become the (hopefully) best version of myself and for this, I am very grateful.
Having lived in Europe for most of my life before moving to Dunedin, I had absolutely no idea what to expect when walking into a New Zealand school for the first time. Wearing a uniform and going to an all-girls school, as well as speaking English all the time were probably the biggest culture shocks of all. Before this, I had gone to a German High School in Ravensburg, travelling there every day on a train from Immenstaad, a village in the South of Germany where my family had moved from my hometown in the Bay of Plenty when I was a toddler. This meant that when I entered St Hilda’s in 2018 as the new kid halfway through Year 9, I was quite overwhelmed. Fortunately, it became clear to me very quickly that all the St Hilda’s students were incredibly welcoming and made adjusting to this unknown environment extremely easy. Despite having to try and translate a lot of what I was taught in class in Germany into English, I feel very lucky to have been able to experience both types of education systems and cultures. It made me appreciate the freedom in subject choice, as well as extra-curricular activities that we have at St Hilda’s.
Due to St Hilda’s strong character and the range of extracurricular activities available, I felt comfortable putting myself out there and becoming involved in things that interest me. Even though it was scary at first coming from overseas where the opportunities were definitely not as abundant, St Hilda’s attitude of pursuing what you are passionate about and being confidently yourself, allowed me to excel in the things I am interested in. This positive attitude towards not being afraid of trying out new things whilst being supported in these areas is something that I think is uniquely special about St Hilda’s.
In my time at this school, I have been involved in various sports, such as being in the first XI Football Team and competing at Nationals for Trapshooting, whilst also having a go at rugby, tennis and touch. The Enviro Club and being a 40-Hour Famine Leader have been especially fun and rewarding. I have also been a part of the Town Belt Kaitiaki (TBK) since 2019 and its chair since 2021. These clubs and the TBK allowed me to learn more about sustainability and how we can integrate it into our everyday lives, something that I will be able to take with me into the future.
Being the Community Prefect for this year has been an absolute privilege and I have loved the opportunity to get involved in the school, hopefully making a difference in the community and encouraging peers to try out new things, as well as creating a more positive environment for everyday school life. Sharing my love for the environment and helping others to learn how to be more environmentally conscious has been at the forefront of what I wanted to achieve this year in this role and I hope that through the initiatives I have organised, I have been able to fulfill this intention. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing others get excited about getting involved in their community and trying to make it a more welcoming, vibrant environment. I believe that every small action that someone takes can help our natural ecosystem and community to progress into a more sustainable future for our country.
I am very excited to be studying at the University of Otago next year, doing a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Anatomy and doing a minor in Biochemistry. In the future, I am hoping to get a job focusing on stroke research and rehabilitation or something similar as I am very passionate about this area.
I am immensely grateful for my time at St Hilda’s and the opportunities that it has provided me with. I will definitely miss my incredible peers and teachers who all pushed me to get out of my comfort zone, try out things I never thought I would, and made me the person I am today!