Tim Dickey (18) joined the Waitahuna Fire Brigade as a volunteer in May last year.
‘‘I've always wanted to do it,'' he says.
Being the youngest person in the brigade does not bother him, and he enjoys the training sessions which are held twice a month.
His father has ‘‘always done it'', and Tim views him as a role model and mentor.
Balancing his community service with school responsibilities has not been an issue, and he still finds time to carry out his head boy duties and hold a position on the board of trustees.
Sport is a passion, and he plays basketball and cricket for school teams.
He was also selected to play in the Southern Area School under-18 rugby team at the South Island tournament this year.
He took up karate last year and holds a green belt.
Tim is a keen duck-shooter, and he was a finalist in the CRT Maimai of the Year competition.
One of his greatest achievements was the completion of an Outward Bound course last year.
Meeting new people and facing up to the challenges it presented stuck out as a highlight for him.
Achievements: head boy; board of trustees representative; volunteer fireman in Waitahuna Fire Brigade; Southern Area School under 18 team representative; finalist in CRT Maimai of the Year competition for duck shooting.
Role model: ‘‘Dad. I've always looked up to him and he is a fireman as well so he is a mentor.''
Hopes for the future: He plans to go to the University of Otago and study commerce and accounting to become an accountant.