Alice Barrett
Alice Barrett admits she can be a little bit indecisive.
But after mulling over what means the most to her, one day it all clicked.
The 18-year-old Kaikorai Valley College pupil now plans to study marine biology at the University of Otago.
Alice says she has loved the ocean her whole life, which comes from spending years at her family’s holiday home in Purakaunui.
The experiences she shared there, bonding with her family, Alice says she carries with her wherever she goes.
While she may call it indecisiveness, others call it adaptability.
Change comes naturally for Alice and she is more than comfortable trying different things in her search for enjoyment.
Having completed the three week Outward Bound course, she says she found it very rewarding yet very trying.
When she was in Year 7, Alice said she really wanted to play a sport — any sport.
She found herself drawn to table tennis because ‘‘it sounded funny’’.
She has stuck with it for the past six years, progressing to even representing Otago.
But her main sporting focus has been football, which she has been involved with for the past 12 years.
Coming from a proud football family, she is following in the footsteps of her mum, grandma, brother and father.
While she always wants to achieve the best she can, Alice says spending her life doing something she enjoys comes first, which she now knows is learning about and loving the ocean.
She says it is not worth the time worrying about things you can not change.
‘‘I worry about everything: past, present and future.
‘‘You’ve got to think about the moment to not worry about the other stuff.’’
Achievements: Head pupil (2023); Rata house leader (2023); Peer support (2023); SADD committee (2022-2023); Envirogroup (2022-2023); student council (2017-2023); top academic student for the year level (2017, 2020, 2021); level 1, 2 excellence endorsement (2021, 2022); Otago Table Tennis Squad (2017-2023); table tennis blues (2021, 2022); Sir Peter Blake Leadership Award (2018); Girls’ football most promising player (2021); Green Island women’s premier team (2023); Otago Gang Show (2017, 2019, 2021); Outward Bound (2023); Girls Over-16 Athletics Champ (2023); Hillary Personal Development Programme award (2020).
Role models: Parents
Hopes for the future: To study marine biology at the University of Otago
Tyrone Bell
Tyrone Bell has always been building towards a career in construction.
After seeing his granddad enjoy his career as a builder his entire life, Tyrone found himself enjoying similar subjects at school.
One day, he even hopes to build his own house.
‘‘I’ve always found making things with my hands a lot more interesting than sitting back in a classroom.
‘‘I see a problem that needs sorted and think of something I need to make it easier or fix the issue.’’
The 18-year-old Kaikorai Valley College pupil plans to enter the building industry by picking up an apprenticeship next year.
He hopes to continue his building work with Osborn Brothers, having worked with the company previously through his school’s Gateway programme.
Tyrone has certainly taken his future into his own hands.
He completed a building and construction course at the Polytechnic, and has done other practical work with different builders over the past three years.
A saw-horse, some seats and a dog kennel are some of the many creations under his belt thus far.
He was the recipient of vocational pathway awards, not only in construction and infrastructure, but also in manufacturing and technology.
With the three-week Outward Bound course done and dusted, Tyrone says his teamworking skills will allow him to co-operate with others in the construction yard.
He keeps these skills sharpened all-year-round, in his roles as head boy, a house leader and captain of both the senior A basketball and senior mixed touch teams.
While his heart will always belong to building, he has found other ways to get to the root of the problem.
He says he does enjoy a good bit of calculus, alongside wood-working and physical education, of course.
Achievements: Head pupil (2023); house leader (2023); Outward Bound (2023); senior A basketball (2021-23), senior boys basketball, most valued player (2022); student council (2017-23); Dingwall Citizenship Cup junior boy (2020); senior mixed touch captain (2023); senior A basketball captain (2023); Construction and Infrastructure Vocational Pathways Award (2023); Manufacturing and Technology
Vocational Pathways Award (2023); co-coaching senior Boys’ A & B and girls basketball (2023); Envirogroup (2022, 2023).
Role model: His parents, granddad and Steven Adams.
Hopes for the future: To take up a building apprenticeship with Osborn Brothers.
