Sebastian Hook and Grace Apuwai-Bishop are the 2019 Class Act recipients for Kavanagh College.
Sebastian Hook
Having choices in life can be a dream for most people.
But for Sebastian Hook, making a choice about whether to pursue a career as a violinist, a trombonist or a fashion designer has been a nightmare this year.
So the 17-year-old Kavanagh College cultural prefect and house leader has taken a ''two out of three ain't bad'' approach to the problem, and decided to study music, mainly performance trombone, at the University of Otago next year, alongside fashion design at Otago Polytechnic.
''I don't know if that's possible yet, but if it isn't, I'll study music first and then fashion.
''I've chosen trombone over violin because there are more opportunities to play trombone. It means I can switch it up, play in jazz orchestras and brass bands as well as orchestras, rather than play just one style.
''My dream job would be to play in a professional music ensemble.''
This year alone, he has made significant achievements in music.
He was selected for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra's mentoring programme on trombone, he is a violinist for the New Zealand secondary schools symphony orchestra, the first trombonist in the New Zealand secondary schools brass band, his ensemble was a finalist in the NZCT Otago Chamber Music Contest, he was third in the New Zealand Brass Band Championships under-19 trombone solo and was a member of a septet which came second in the ensemble section.
Sebastian says he has always wanted to be a musician, but more recently, he has discovered fashion design.
''I just love clothes. I enjoy wearing things that are a bit more abstract.
''I've been making stuff like T-shirts and suit jackets that are cut a bit different, with embroidery to funk it up a bit.''
He was encouraged to pursue fashion design as a career after attending the ID Fashion Show this year.
''It was really inspiring. Looking at what people had done and what they achieved - I thought, I could do that, too.''
Achievements: Cultural prefect (2019); house leader (2019); NCEA level 2 with merit (2018), level 1 with excellence (2017); New Zealand Symphony Orchestra trombone mentoring programme (2019); NZ secondary schools symphony orchestra violinist (2019); NZ secondary schools brass band 1st trombonist (2019); NZCT Chamber Music Contest regional finalist (2019), highly commended (2019), Otago district finalist (2017, 2018, 2019), KBB wind award winner (2015, 2019); 2nd Otago Southland Brass Band Provincial Contest under 19 solo, 1st ensemble section (2019); Royal School of Music grade 8 trombone (2019), grade 7 violin (2019), grade 5 theory with merit (2017); Dunedin Youth Orchestra 1st trombone (2017, 2018), 2nd violin (2016-19); NZ secondary school symphony orchestra 2nd violin (2016); Kaikorai Metropolitan Brass Band member (2017-19); DCC band stand (20017-19); Taieri Musical Society orchestra (2018); school jazz band (2015-19); school production show band (2015-19).
Role model: No role model.
Hopes for the future: To study music at the University of Otago and fashion design at Otago Polytechnic.
Grace Apuwai-Bishop
Grace Apuwai-Bishop
Being of strong religious beliefs, Grace Apuwai-Bishop is not one to cast stones - unless she is on ice and the stone has a handle on it.
The 17-year-old Kavanagh College prefect has been curling since she was about 10 years old and the stone weighed nearly as much as she did.
''My uncle brought me into it. He said it would be a fun sport. And then when I got there, there was a heap of old men and I thought, maybe this isn't for me.
''But I just kept going because everyone said I would have a chance to go overseas to compete if I did it.
''It was the lure of a trip overseas and also free food.''
It turns out, she has become really good at it and, as promised, she has travelled a lot to compete in the sport.
During the past three years, she has been a member of the winning team at the New Zealand National Secondary Schools Curling Championships in 2017 and 2018, a member of the winning under-21 team at the National Curling Championships in 2018, and has been selected for the 2019 New Zealand under-21 women's curling team.
One day, she hopes to compete for New Zealand at the Winter Olympics.
Alongside curling, Grace is also a passionate, successful handball player.
This year, she was a member of the school's team which won the New Zealand Secondary Schools Handball Competition, where she won the award for being the best goalie in the competition, and she was selected as a member of the 2019 New Zealand under-19 women's handball team.
One of the challenges that playing both sports at a high level has presented this year is that it is starting to overlap with school work, she says.
But on the positive side, it had forced her to become very efficient at time management.
Grace is a high academic achiever, having gained NCEA level 1 and 2 with excellence.
Next year, she plans to study health sciences and then biochemistry, while continuing to play sport.
Ultimately, she would like to work in the field of genetics.
''It would be really interesting to learn about gene editing and using genetics to help cure diseases, but I don't know if I would do it personally.
''It calls into question the ethics of it.''
Achievements: Service and social justice prefect (2019); house leader (2019); NCEA levels 1 and 2 with excellence; 1st NZ National Secondary Schools Curling Championships (2017, 18); 1st U21 National Curling Championships (2018); 1st NZ Secondary Schools Handball Competition (2019), best goalie award (2019); school handball team goalie (2019); NZ U21 women’s curling team (2019); NZ U19 women’s handball team (2019); Maori School Leadership Award (2018).
Role models: My ‘‘uncle squad’’. All of my five uncles combine to make a really good role model.
Hopes for the future: To study health sciences and then biochemistry, and continue playing sport.
