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Haru Kuroe
Haru Kuroe has a gift when it comes to music.
“I love music because of all the different opportunities that it brings me.
“It is a hobby that is not only fun and relaxing, but also where I can work with so many people.”
The 17-year-old plays the saxophone, bass guitar and piano, and mainly plays the genres of jazz and rock.
A highlight last year was receiving the best bassist and the best musician awards at the Blenheim Southern Jam Jazz Festival.
“Our school combo, which is a six-person jazz-funk band, also took out the competition.”
He says that as someone who didn’t play many sports growing up, captaining his school’s volleyball team has been a valuable experience, teaching him many leadership skills.
As the head boy of Wakatipu High School, he is a very social person, but this was not always the case.
“I used to stutter and not really know what I was talking about, it was always just something I kind of tried to stay away from.”
But after repetition and putting himself out there, his communications skills and connections are one of his biggest strengths.
Next year Haru plans to study all of his passions at the University of Auckland, where he will study a conjoint degree in cell and molecular bioscience with a bachelor of science with music with jazz.
He hopes to work within the pharmaceuticals, forensics or biotechnology fields.
Achievements: Head student (2026); NCEA level 1, 2 and 3 (excellence); Robertson Award for best all-round year 12 (2025); jazz combo and big band (2024-26); volleyball A team (2022-26); Southern Jam Jazz Festival (2023-26), runner-up big band, best band leader and all-star band bassist (2026), overall winner with jazz combo, best musician, best bassist and all-star band bassist (2025): volleyball Southland for New Zealand IPC (2025); Play It Strange national finalist (2024); 1st Rockquest regional finals (2024).
Role models: His parents, Hiromi and Akira.
Hopes for the future: To find a career that he truly wants to do.
Eve Pagan
Eve Pagan knows for certain that the performing arts will always be a part of her life.
The 17-year-old isn’t sure if she will make a career out of it, but says it will always be important to her.
The Wakatipu High School house leader has been on the stage and performing in musicals since she was 6 years old, often playing a lead role.
It is her favourite thing to do and has been a great way to meet new people, she says.
This year she had to make the tough call to stop rowing to be able to fully commit to her love of performing.
“It was a shame I had to stop … I couldn’t do the school musical and rowing.”
She says rowing was different from any other sport that she’d done.
“It was really high stress, but we had so much fun.”
Her dream is to follow in her parents’ footsteps and become a pilot.
“Growing up around aviation has definitely influenced me. I like the idea of new experiences and challenges and I’ve always thought that’s where I’d end up.
“I’ve been having some flying lessons with my dad since the start of the year and am currently working towards going solo.”
Next year she is going to continue her flying lessons while also attending the University of Otago to study something related to maths, science or performing arts.
Achievements: House leader (2026); NCEA level 2 (excellence); cultural commendation cultural blues (2025); sports blue (2025); U16 and U17 girls quad and double sculls placing 2nd at the South Island secondary schools rowing championships (2025); U15 girls coxed quad gold at South Island secondary schools rowing champs (2024); bronze in U15 quad at Maadi (2024); U15 girls coxed quad skulls bronze at South Island secondary schools (2023).
Role models: Her sister Mia and her parents.
Hopes for the future: To travel, experience things and find out what she wants to do with her life.