Meet the Prefects
Starting at St Hilda’s was a big change in my life. I had come from a small semi-rural school in Portobello with five other girls in my year group. At Portobello School I spent a lot of my time out in the tree reserve or on the fields playing bullrush. I was your typical tomboy and I embraced it! My favourites parts of the year were the school’s cross country and athletics days. While everyone else was complaining about having to run - I was excited and couldn’t wait to compete. This carried over to when I started at St Hilda’s. I was lucky enough to be awarded the Year 9 Entrance Sports Scholarship and I would often be “that girl” who competed in every event and was always trying just a little bit too much. I was initially quite shy as I didn’t know anyone else in my year and found it to be quite a different atmosphere to where I had been previously. But I quickly came out of my shell and developed a real love for the school and the people I was surrounded by.
A large part of my identity has come from my involvement in sports. While at St Hilda’s I have played in netball, rugby, touch, and taken part in swimming, cross country and athletics. I have enjoyed the atmosphere of team sports and loved having the opportunity to compete and represent my school. My enjoyment of sport was nurtured during primary school and has been refined during my time at St Hilda’s. This has meant that as I have become a senior member in my sports teams, I have wanted to ensure that they foster the same positive feelings towards sports that I had experienced. I have always tried to make everyone feel welcome and inclusive and comfortable to express their opinions in a non-judgemental way. St Hilda’s has set me up well to continue with both my academic studies and sport into the future and that is what I plan to do. I often have the problem of dreaming too big but I don’t ever want to sell myself short and not reach my potential. So while at times it seems that I have failures, I know that without them I would not achieve success.
As Maori and Pasifika Prefect I have had the privilege to add to the vibrant culture at St Hilda’s and help our Kura continue its cultural journey. This leadership role has required me to step up and give back to my school community in a way that I find personally rewarding and challenging. While there is often a lot of hard work that goes on behind the scenes, it has taught me that when you are passionate about something and have a good work ethic you can achieve whatever you put your mind to. So remember, keep dreaming big and embrace those tough times, for without them we couldn’t achieve success.
“He iti hau marangai e tū te pāhokahoka” - Just like a rainbow after the storm, success follows failure