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The class of '02 has stepped into a world racked by
recession and uncertainty. But as Kim Dungey discovered, it is
not slowing them down.
Today's 20-somethings consider themselves lucky to be in work
and not looking for their first jobs in an economic
recession.
While for some, the downturn has meant delaying their travels
and staying at university longer.
Finances were a hot topic when we caught up recently with the
57 people who received Otago Daily Times Class Act awards as
high school pupils in 2002.
Judge's clerk Bridget Fenton has not directly felt the sting
of the recession, but says some of her contemporaries have
and that has a "ripple effect".
"I went through university during a financial boom and the
feeling was that anything was possible," she recalls.
"That feeling has changed over the last year or so, and young
professionals see employment quite differently. I think we
probably value it more consciously now."
After seeing six colleagues recently made redundant, Zoe
Moffatt, an environmental scientist in Sydney, also
appreciates how lucky she is to have secured a good job
before the recession hit: "It's a lot harder to get a
graduate position now, compared to a couple of years ago".
Jesse Robertson, who is doing scientific research in
Canberra, says there has been an influx of people returning
to university and completing postgraduate qualifications
while they wait for the job market to improve.
Fran Hackshaw, who is working on her master's thesis, has
noticed a downturn in the amount of academic funding
available worldwide, especially student scholarships.
Frances Jackways thought she would have travelled more by
now, instead of starting her legal career straight from
university, and admits to sometimes being "jealous" of
friends and family who are overseas.
However, she is happy to be gaining experience and saving for
a house.
"Being able to get a job, keep it, and then being able to
move between jobs has become a lot more uncertain," she says.
"Also the ability to enjoy an overseas experience, as we
could have in the last decade. The number of job
opportunities overseas isn't the same as it was, so I feel
our earning potential has decreased."
Paul Maxwell, an electrician in Melbourne, would be in
Ireland by now if he had not met so many out-of-work Irish
tradesmen who had moved to Australia in search of jobs.
However, others like winemaker Duncan Gibson say the
recession has not changed how they see their futures, as
their skills will still be in demand.
Full-time mum Suny Verberne Heazlewood says that with enough
publicity, humans can be put into a panic about anything.
"No, it hasn't changed my view of the future. Luckily, the
recession hasn't affected my eyesight".
And PhD student Callum Spence says he does not need a global
financial crisis to remind him to be smart about money and
grateful for what he has.
Last year, we caught up with the 58 Class Act recipients from
2001 and found 16 of them were overseas.
This time there are only nine - seven of them in Australia -
though many plan to travel in the future.
Twenty-one are still in the Otago-Southland region. Ten are
in Canterbury and nine in Wellington. Only 13 are still
studying. Four are married and 18 others are living with
partners. Three have children.
A dozen have bought houses, including Paul Maxwell who, on
his last day at high school, cashed up his insurance policy
to help buy a rental property in Dunedin.
But asked if their student loans had been cleared yet, bar
manager Scott Becker said "Don't make me laugh", and tax
consultant Daniel Gibbons suggested asking him again in 2020.
The Class Act award recognises general excellence and nearly
a decade on, the 2002 winners are still achieving in a
variety of fields.
Jinty MacTavish produced an award-winning film, Lessons
From a Melting Icecap.
Joe Dobson won last year's national Registered Master
Builders Apprentice of the Year competition.
Naomi Johnstone has worked for the UN doing post-tsunami and
post-conflict work in Indonesia, and for an international
conflict-prevention NGO in Sri Lanka.
Katrina Yelavich moved to Wellington to further her acting
and has just appeared in The Prime of Miss Jean
Brodie.
Duncan Gibson is assistant winemaker at Chard Farm winery
near Queenstown and works three months each year in the
northern hemisphere.
In sport, Andy McMillan holds a national swimming title,
Helen Caley won gold at the last Taekwondo World Cup, Craig
Smith has played club cricket in England, Scott Becker is in
the New Zealand men's curling team and former sprinter Katie
Schofield is carving out a new career in cycling.
Incidentally, two others involved in the 2002 Class Act
ceremony have also moved on.
Former prime minister Helen Clark heads the United Nations
development programme while retired Otago Daily Times
editor Robin Charteris, a travel writer, is part of a
three-man team investigating the feasibility of a Chinese
heritage trail in Otago, editor of the New Zealand Grey Power
magazine and planning a trip to Poland, Paris and Prague.
