Katie Kinnaird
The Waitaki Girls’ High School deputy head girl has always had an interest in medical laboratory science, but the Covid-19 pandemic has peaked it and she is now focusing on making it her career.
"There’s more openings now from the current climate that we’re living with — there’s definitely going to be a greater variety of options for dealing with vaccines and diseases as they become more relevant.
"It’s probably one of the few good things that have come out of Covid for me."
In her bid for the career, she plans to study health science at the University of Otago next year.
Katie is a high achieving academic, having gained NCEA level 1 and 2 with excellence, and received school academic excellence awards for being first in year 11 English, business, and food and nutrition, and year 12 chemistry, English, food and nutrition, and statistics.
Outside the classroom, she is a member of the North Otago and Otago smallbore rifle shooting teams, and has achieved New Zealand Cadet Forces junior and senior non-commissioned officers courses, and holds the rank of Sergeant in the 26 Squadron Air Training Corps.
She said shooting and cadet force training had been character building and had helped her build leadership skills, patience and calmness under pressure.
They had been particularly useful in her work on the Waitaki combined social committee, the Waitaki District Youth Council and as a peer support leader and Blake Inspire delegate.
Doing so many activities at school and in the community has also made her very good at compartmentalising and focusing on the here and now.
"It’s about clearing everything else out of your mind and just putting all your focus on your goal.
"I like to be busy and get involved in school and extra-curricular things. Definitely, learning to balance and prioritise things has been really important."
Achievements: Deputy head girl (2022); student council chairwoman (2022); NCEA level 1 and 2 with excellence; 1st in year 11 English, business, and food and nutrition (2020); 1st in year 12 chemistry, English, food and nutrition, statistics (2021); academic excellence award (2020-2021); cultural service award to the canteen (2021); sports award for performance in smallbore rifle shooting (2021); WGHS smallbore rifle shooting team captain (2022); North Otago and Otago smallbore rifle shooting teams (2021 2022); Waitaki combined social committee (2022); New Zealand Cadet Forces junior non-commissioned officers course achieved (2020), senior non-commissioned officers course achieved with award for greatest contribution to teamwork (2021); rank of Sergeant in the 26 Squadron Air Training Corps (2021-2022); peer support leader (2022); member of Waitaki District Youth Council (2021-2022); Blake Inspire delegate (2022).
Role model: Her parents and grandparents.
Hopes for the future: To study health sciences at the University of Otago, with the aim of becoming a medical laboratory scientist.
Sophie McMillan- Sinclair
Waitaki Girls’ High School head girl Sophie McMillan-Sinclair (18) says her late rowing coach and role model Owen Gould was the epitome of a great coach, and had taught her many life lessons.
One of the most important lessons was that physical training is only half of the battle. The other half is inside her head.
"He pushed us way past what we thought we could do.
"So from experience, I do definitely know that your body can do whatever you put your mind to."
The mindset has pushed her to great success in rowing and multisport, in which she has won gold at the 2021 New Zealand Rowing Championships, bronzes at the 2021 South Island Rowing Championships, and bronzes at this year’s South Island Secondary Schools and Aoraki Secondary School Triathlon events.
"Rowing has taught me a lot of things. It gave me confidence to do things that I never thought I would.
"It’s probably what pushed me to do everything in my schooling years. It got me involved in all my other sports and clubs.
"It’s taught me how to juggle my time. A busy person is an efficient person."
Sophie said her experiences had given her a great interest in physical and mental health, and next year she wants to study physical education, activity and health at the University of Otago.
Ultimately, she hopes to forge a career in mental skills training or sports psychology.
Achievements: Head girl (2022); NCEA level 1 with excellence, level 2 with merit; trophy for Junior Triathlon Team (2019); student council (2019-2022); Waitaki District Youth Council(2022); social committee co-chairwoman (2022); 2nd in athletics 800m and 1500m (2020); most talented rower (2021); sporting blue for rowing (2021); NZ Honours Award for rowing (2021); health committee (2018-2022); 40 Hour Famine leader (2021); Enviro Club (2021-2022); Sports Council multi-sport rep (2022); Outward Bound (2022); NZ Rowing Championships women's intermediate coxed eight gold medallist (2021); South Island Rowing Championships women's intermediate coxed four and women's intermediate coxed eight bronze medallist (2021); SISS and Aoraki Secondary
School Triathlon team event bronze medallist (2022).
Role model: My parents and former rowing coach, the late Owen Gould.
Hopes for the future: To study physical education, activity and health at the University of Otago.
