Meet our 2023 Student Leaders

Zariyah Andrews

Kia Ora, I’m Zariyah Andrews, and I am super excited to be one of the Head Students for 2023, alongside the rest of our fantastic team. I look forward to being a positive and approachable role model and helping others around the school.
To get to know me, I was born here in Nelson, New Zealand, where I attended Birchwood Primary School, Stoke School, Broadgreen Intermediate, Nayland College and now Waimea College. I own and run a hip-hop dance studio called The Tribe Dance Academy, with over 110 students enrolled. My sister and I compete as Iconic Duo and have travelled worldwide, competing in the HHU world championships twice, placing 4th out of 65 duos in 2019. My passion from a young age has always been hip-hop dancing, but I also love spending time with friends and family, jetskiing and making memories!
I am taking English Advanced, Statistics, Accounting, Psychology and Dance this year. As for future studies, I plan on attending university and gaining a Bachelor of Teaching and Learning to become a primary school teacher. My academic goals this year are to keep striving high and achieve a Level 3 Excellence endorsement. I cannot wait for this year; I wish to create a supportive environment that enables every student to experience their best and most memorable year and remove the stigma of striving high to get Merit and Excellence in the class or community. I also want to ensure that all Waimea College students feel welcome and have a sense of belonging at this school, and I will do this by continuing to promote our positive school culture. I wish you all the best for this year, and I can’t wait to see you around the school.

Cassie Cameron

Hi! I’m Cassie. You’ll find me out running with my black lab, making a mess in the chemistry lab or totally nerding out over a game of chess. I’m super excited to be back and looking forward to the year ahead with you all! This year I’m studying Biology, Chemistry, Physics, University Maths and Outdoor Ed. I have a quick story to share. Over the summer, I had a life-changing work opportunity in Stewart Island. However, I’ll be honest when I say that the thought of hopping on a plane by myself to some foreign island terrified me more than anything. Having picked a great time to go, I had the thrills of tenting in 80km per hour winds and a ton of rain, while narrowly dodging a COVID outbreak. There were so many times I considered pulling the plug on this trip completely. However, I soon discovered the locals were super-friendly, the scenery simply stunning, and the work very enjoyable. Looking back, the experience was one of the best things I have ever done, and I would not change a moment of it. So, I wanted to leave you with the message that this year, when an opportunity comes up, or when things feel tough, just take that opportunity and push through. Know that when you push through those barriers, the other side will always be worth it. All the best for 2023!

Poppy Donald

Kia Ora, I'm Poppy Donald and I am thrilled to be one of Waimea's Head Students for 2023. Before attending Waimea College, I went to Richmond Primary School and Waimea Intermediate. I was born in Auckland, then moved to New Plymouth, and finally to Nelson where I have lived in Richmond for 13 years. I live with my Mum, Dad and brother William who is in Year 10 at Waimea College this year. I also have a dog called Rebel and a recent new addition to the family; a kitten called Walter. Outside of school I play the bagpipes (as well as the euphonium for the school orchestra) and play and compete with the Stoke Celtic Pipe Band where I have previously competed and placed at many National Championships, both as a soloist and with the band. I also swim with the Waimea Swim Club and love to fill my other spare time mountain biking, walking, spending time with friends and working at the Little Engine Eatery Café. This year I am taking Biology, Chemistry, Statistics, Music, and History. My goal is to endorse NCEA Level 3 at Excellence, while also still finding time to do the things I love. My plan for 2024 is to go to Massey University in Palmerston North and study a Bachelor of Veterinary Science and go on to specialise in large animals such as equine. I am looking forward to this year and all the amazing opportunities and challenges the Head Student role will bring. I want to inspire others to also follow in these footsteps and generally strive to do their very best in whichever area of schooling that is. I want to be an approachable person around school and a role model for all. I look forward to seeing everyone’s faces at school and throughout the community. I wish everyone the very best for 2023. 

Eli Gapes

Hello, my name is Eli Gapes and I am excited to be a part of your 2023 Head Student team. I am looking forward to all the things this position has to offer and am ready to take on its challenges as the year goes by. 
I was born in Nelson Hospital and lived in Brightwater for the first 4 years of my life. We moved to Richmond, and I attended Ranzau School for 6 years. While I was attending Ranzau, we moved up the Aniseed Valley and I’m still living there to this day. I attended Waimea Intermediate for two years before starting at Waimea College. I come from an awesome family of 5: me, Dad - Andrew, Mum - Olivia and two sisters: Keziah (Year 11 at Waimea College) and Isabella (Year 8 at Waimea Intermediate).

Outside of school,l I enjoy sports like cricket and football. I also like running and occasionally try to stay on my mountain bike down the Kaiteriteri tracks.
Subjects I am studying this year are Physics, History, Geography, PE and Statistics. My goal in terms of schooling is to endorse the year with Excellence, while keeping up with everything going around me. After school I have a few ideas, one I am thinking about is studying Optometry at Auckland University, but my ideas are changing frequently.
This year I want to be approachable as a Head Student, and role model our school values to the best of my abilities. I want to encourage everyone to put their best foot forward in all that they do and to lead by example in every aspect, not just school life but in everything life throws at them. I look forward to helping with leading the students of this awesome school and to seeing you all out there.

 Adam Teece

Hey everyone, I’m Adam Teece and I’m stoked to be a part of the Head Student team for Waimea College 2023. I’m finding this year fun and exciting so far and I hope everyone else is too.

Here’s some insight on me. Once upon a time, my baby self was born in Nelson, and I’ve lived in Richmond ever since. I attended Richmond Primary School, then moved on to Waimea Intermediate and completed the usual cycle by finishing school at good old Waimea College. I was brought up in a reasonably busy household living with four sisters, two of which have been through Waimea College already. Subjects I am studying this year are Physics, Statistics, History, Geography and Music. I’d love to endorse this year with Excellence in NCEA Level 3, whilst also enjoying the other aspects of school besides learning, like socialising with friends and extracurricular activities.

Outside of school, I work at Paper Plus Richmond. This job helps sustain my many hobbies, with most of them being outdoors. Things like hunting, fishing and diving all keep me busy outside of school. I also like playing guitar and I’m looking forward to being involved this year in Waimea College musical groups such as the guitar ensemble and Waimea College Jazz Band.

I’m hoping to take up as many opportunities as I can this year and make the most of my time left at school. I hope I can make a positive impact on the school and make 2023 enjoyable for everyone.

 Lucas Trench

Hey everyone, my name is Lucas Trench, and I am excited to be a part of your 2023 Head Student team! I am really looking forward to getting involved with all aspects of the school and leaving a positive impact.

A bit about me: I was born in Dunedin and moved to Nelson when I was 5. I attended St. Paul's Primary School before moving to Waimea Intermediate and carrying through to Waimea College. I come from a family of five made up of myself, my sister Lily, who is currently in Year 11 at Waimea College, my youngest sister Ivy, who is in Year 8 at Waimea Intermediate, my dad Shane and my mum Louise. My family loves travelling, and we have been lucky enough to travel to many different countries including Ireland, U.A.E, China, and a few others. Outside of school, I enjoy playing basketball, going to the gym, and just hanging out with friends. This year, I am taking Physics, PE, Calculus, Chemistry, and Accounting, and hope to attend either Otago or Canterbury University next year. This year I hope to be a friendly and approachable figure that anyone can come up to and to be a role model to the younger students. I also hope to make my last year at Waimea College one to remember!

 Daniel Taplin (Board of Trustees Student Trustee)

Greetings, I am Daniel Taplin. After winning the student election by 70 votes I am now the Waimea College Student Trustee for the Board for 2023. I have already attended a couple of Board meetings to get settled in. I am really interested in doing as much as I can to help all that come and work at Waimea College.

I was born in Nelson and lived most of my early life on a dairy farm In Murchison, with my Mum - Sue, Dad - Ray and older brother - Andrew. Down there I found my first love of motorcycles. I also learned to love and respect nature, something I carry to this day. I moved up to Brightwater so I could start going to Waimea Intermediate where I met a lot of friends that I still have, and then followed the natural progression to Waimea College.

In the last few years, I have picked up the theatre bug and have signed up for many things from Theatre Sports to the Shakespeare Competition. I still enjoy riding motorcycles like I did when younger, just recently getting my full bike license.

This year I’m studying History, Hospitality, Outdoor Education, Drama and Geography. My plans for the year are to try as much and do as many extra-curricular activities as possible, while I still have time for my friends and myself. After College, my plan is to get a local job for a year or two and then head off into the Defence Force, with the aim of becoming an army officer.

This year I wish to accept every opportunity that comes my way and be a friendly face around school.