SAMANTHA SHANNON
2013: Winner of the women’s musicianship award at the 2012 Otago Regional Rockquest competition, Shannon was also lead singer for the winning band in the 2013 New Zealand ‘‘Play it Strange Who Loves Who’’ competition. She planned to study psychology, law and earth science.
2023: Shannon recently worked as an actor and production manager for the play Henchman, at Basement Theatre, Auckland. After graduating with law and performing arts degrees, she planned to pursue performing work. However, the Covid lockdowns saw her taking jobs that were more aligned with her law degree. ‘‘I know now that it’s not for me,’’ she says.‘‘I’ve recently left a role working for a Crown entity and am hoping to focus on performing arts for a while.’’
ROB GWYNNE-JONES
2013: A high academic achiever, especially in sciences, Gwynne-Jones played for the school football team and was a keen skier and white-water kayaker. He planned to take a gap year and go overseas before starting tertiary study.
2023: A junior doctor for Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand in Christchurch, Gwynne-Jones still skis, plays social football and is a qualified grade 4/5 whitewater rafting guide. He spent his gap year rafting in Canada and worked in Serbia and Canada for three months during his final year of medical school.
