We had our Dio Open Day on Friday 21 March 2025. As part of the Boarding focused afternoon our Heads of Boarding shared why and how they became Dio Girls and Dio Girls in Boarding with prospective aakonga and their whaanau.

Kia Ora everyone, I’m Katie and this is Liv / I’m Liv and this is Katie and we are the Heads of Boarding for 2025.

I am the youngest of 5 siblings and suddenly in year 8 when my last sibling moved out for uni, I was left all alone in a big house. I knew immediately, my only option for my high school years was to board. Instead I opted for an even bigger change, to apply to be a boarder at Waikato Dio despite feeling worried about moving to a new area where I knew absolutely nobody. I thought I would “try it, just for one term to see how it goes.” 

However to my surprise it didn’t take one term for me to fall in love with the idea of being a Dio girl. After the initial year 8 sleepover in November 2019, I knew this was the place for me and I was no doubt coming back at the start of February 2020. Within the first half of term 1, I was overwhelmed in the best way when I gained an additional 28 sisters. The feeling of being accepted, belonging somewhere, and making friends close enough to call my sisters was truly unmatched. Straight away the boarding house became my home away from home. 

Everyone seemed to form connections and bond with each other effortlessly, as we all knew we would be living together for the next five years. This doesn’t mean we have all got along 100% of the time, but more importantly learned how to navigate our differences, compromise when needed, and respect each others boundaries.

The students, boarding house parents, catering staff, facilities, and opportunities were all factors that contributed to my growing love for the boarding community over the last five years. Leaving school suddenly doesn’t scare me as much, as boarding has equipped me with the leadership experience, skills, independence, adaptability, eagerness to meet new people, and a desire to step outside of my comfort zone more often. 

Boarding is a diverse environment, and is a place for everyone to feel valued and included. To help you feel more at home, the Boarding Council, along with the Director of Boarding and House Parents, puts together events like in-weekends, themed dinners, a lip sync competition, and chapel services with St. Paul’s. I really encourage you to take advantage of any opportunities that come your way.