Morganne-Lee Greene
Morganne-Lee Greene
Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.
It is a philosophy that has prompted Morganne-Lee Greene to think very carefully about a future career she will enjoy.
"I’m not the sort of person that can sit at a desk all day.
"I really like working with other people and I like running around.
"I’d need to be in a job that is active."
That is why the 18-year-old Tokomairiro High School head pupil wants to study physical education at the University of Otago next year.
She wants to forge a career either as a physical education teacher, or as a sports performance analyst, trying to improve the performance of professional athletes.
"I want to be able to go home each day and feel happy and rewarded."
Morganne-Lee has a real passion for sport — particularly hockey.
She was an Otago hockey age-group representative from 2015 to 2019, she has been a member of the Tokomairiro High School girls’ 1st XI hockey team for the past five years, she coached junior hockey in 2019 and 2021, she has been a member of the school’s senior A touch team since 2019, and she has been the school’s senior and intermediate girls swimming champion.
Her roles in sport have given her the skills to become a proactive, responsible and diligent leader and positive role model to her younger peers.
She is generous with her time and is always the first to volunteer for school activities and community organisations.
However, she has had to draw a line in the sand this year, in a bid to avoid over-committing herself.
She says juggling her school work with sporting and community commitments has been challenging this year, so she has had to make some sacrifices to fit it all in.
Morganne-Lee has always strived for excellence academically, and has attained both NCEA levels 1 and 2 with excellence.
She is aiming for excellence again this year, in her bid to realise her dream job.
Achievements: Head pupil (2021); NCEA level 1 and 2 with excellence; 1st in mathematics, geography (2019, 2020), 1st in outdoor education (2020), 1st in science (2019); Otago hockey rep (2015-19); school girls’ 1st XI hockey (2017-21), hockey MVP (2019); junior hockey coach (2019, 2021); senior A touch team (2019-21), touch MVP (2019, 2020); senior girls swimming champion (2019), intermediate champion (2018); house captain (2021); Clutha District Youth Council rep (2019-2021); peer support leader (2021); Outward Bound (2021).
Role model: My parents.
Hopes for the future: To study exercise and sports science at the University of Otago.
Alena Johnston
Alena Johnston
They say grandparents are as necessary to a child’s growth as vitamins.
Alena Johnston (17) says she has learnt a lot of life’s lessons from her grandparents — particularly her surviving grandmother.
The Tokomairiro High School head pupil sees her Gran as a role model because during World War 2, she was taken from her family and evacuated elsewhere.
"She made her way to New Zealand and started a whole new life here. That would have taken a lot of strength and character."
Alena says she was very close to her grandparents and believes that the three of them dying from cancer has had a major impact on her decision to study radiation therapy.
"When I tell people I want to do radiation therapy, they say it’s such a hard place to work, but I think it will be really rewarding.
"I think cancer is horrible and it’s really hard to see it happen to people that you love.
"Working in the field, I can help make people’s lives better."
Alena has a bright and cheerful disposition and
is also very compassionate — qualities she learnt from her grandparents that will be useful in her chosen career.
Alena is focused on her studies and only excellence is good enough.
Having achieved NCEA levels 1 and 2 with excellence, and being first in year 12 for biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics, she is hoping to go straight into studying radiation therapy next year, rather than study health sciences first.
Somehow she manages to balance her academic commitments with her passion for sport.
She has represented Tokomairiro High School in hockey and netball, and more recently she has started to make a name for herself as a speedway racer.
This year, Alena was second in the Production Saloon grade at Beachlands Speedway.
She says it is a good escape.
"When you’re out on the track, all you think about is racing and getting in front. Nothing else is really there."
While study will be her main focus for the next few years, she hopes to race at a national level in the future.
Achievements: Head pupil (2021); NCEA level 1 and 2 with excellence; 1st in year 12 biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics (2020); Otago University Advanced School Sciences Academy (2021); school 1st XI hockey (2017-21); netball captain (2018); years 7-8 netball co-coach (2019); house captain (2020, 2021), deputy house captain (2019); peer support (2021); Outward Bound Mind, Body, Soul course (2021).
Role model: My Gran.
Hopes for the future: To study radiation therapy at the University of Otago.
