Class Act 2012 ten years on: where are they now?

Montage of supplied photos by ODT artist Mat Patchett.

Some are predicting an exodus of New Zealanders as borders reopen. Kim Dungey finds out if some of our brightest young people — those who received Otago Daily Times Class Act awards a decade ago — have itchy feet.

With rent, food and fuel costs on the rise and wages struggling to keep pace, many young people are expected to chase higher salaries overseas.

Government officials estimate between 50,000 and 125,000 New Zealanders will leave the country over the next year for an OE or for work as the borders reopen after two years of Covid-19 restricting travel. One factor will be countries such as Australia starting to recruit New Zealand workers again.

However, of the 40 millenials who responded to our questions about this topic, only six were considering living overseas in the near future.

They included anaesthetic registrar Holly Johnstone, who plans to work in the Australian health system for a year or two but who long-term sees New Zealand as home and overseas as a place to holiday.

Emma Scanlan, who is doing her PhD in Ontario, is among a further nine already living overseas. She said she wanted to work with, and learn from, researchers outside Otago and experience living in a different country: "As a geologist, there are also a lot of jobs overseas in comparison to within New Zealand."

Many of the 2012 Otago Daily Times Class Act recipients who are intending to stay in New Zealand gave reasons to do with their jobs, families and lifestyles.

A significant number said their decision to stay or go had been affected by Covid-19. Some had returned to New Zealand earlier than planned while others felt our Covid response had made the country a more attractive place to live.

Solicitor Ted Greensmith-West returned in 2020 after attempting an OE in the UK and finding the response to the virus was very different to the approach taken in New Zealand: "There were genuine moments of fear during the early stages of the pandemic overseas, when I was seeing news reports of thousands of people dying each day," he said.

The official 2012 Class Act photograph. Photo: ODT files

"Our Government has done a fantastic job of mitigating the most harmful impacts of Covid and I am glad that I returned."

But not being free to travel for two years has pushed physiotherapist Ben Johnson to consider doing it while he can: "It’s encouraged me to live in the now and not worry so much about what tomorrow looks like".

Morgan Harris said Covid had changed his idea of what an OE looked like. Working in Fiji for a New Zealand engineering consultancy, while not the typical working holiday or international move, had given him a taste of an overseas experience and back-to-back summers.

The Class Act awards recognise excellence in a variety of areas, from academic achievement to sporting and cultural success, winners nominated by their schools.

The 2012 recipients, now aged 26 to 28, include a senior economist at the Reserve Bank, a solicitor who represents claimants in the Waitangi Tribunal, a member of the NZ Women in Medicine Charitable Trust and the physiotherapist for the Highlanders rugby team. Alby Hailes won The Great New Zealand Bake-off and kayaker Finn Butcher won a silver medal in the extreme slalom world championship.

The small number who are still studying include Sarah Sandford, who is looking at whether the vaccine for TB could protect against Covid-19.

Many have continued with the interests that earned them recognition 10 years ago. Laura Barton is a violinist with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, Gemma Baldock has twice been a finalist in the National Contemporary Art Awards and Harriet Love still enters the 48-Hour Short Film Festival with her former year 11 friends.

However, some who were acknowledged for their sporting achievements now play only socially due to work and family commitments.

Samantha Grice, who wanted to be a nurse from the age of 12, was one of many who ended up doing exactly what she had planned to. A few, though, took completely different directions. Among them was Kerryn Little, whose field of study changed from glaciology to wildfire management after a stint with a volunteer fire service.

Receiving awards and completing degrees were often mentioned when the cohort were asked to nominate their biggest achievements of the past 10 years. Others said it was continually setting goals for themselves, continuing with the pursuit of knowledge in the post-academic years and giving back to their communities.

Catchment adviser Harriet Love said it was achieving a good work-life balance and learning how to "undo" high stress levels from a life of constant studying.

For Shaun Markham, who lives with cerebral palsy, it was gaining his driver’s licence.

For Ted Greensmith-West, it was "living a happy, successful life as a proud queer man".

Ten years ago, when asked for a Class Act story to name someone he admired, Greensmith-West wanted to say Harvey Milk — one of the first openly-gay people elected to public office — but didn’t think his Catholic school would be tolerant enough to understand his choice.

"But today, I proudly say that I am one of Harvey Milk’s children and to any young LGBTQ kid growing up in Dunedin, always remember: you are loved enough, you are worthy enough, you are enough."

Class Act 2012 recipients listen to the Prime Minister's speech during the Class Act 2012 event at Dunedin Public Art Gallery. Photo: Gregor Richardson

Making commutes more eco-friendly

Despite the tough housing market, 20 members of the group have bought their own homes or investment properties and another seven plan to in the next few years.

One lived at home while he studied, allowing him to save and invest. Another has flatmates to help pay her mortgage and a third said she bought her first house after "hunkering down" for a year, treating herself to an "oven pizza and a cream bun on a Friday night".

For others, home ownership was only a pipe dream. Policy adviser Kieran Ireland is "saving up, holding on to a deposit and waiting to see what prices do" while musician Reuben Gray felt the housing market was so "crazy" his generation could only partake with countless hours of work or a financial partner.

An increasingly difficult housing market and a desire to travel in the post-Covid era means Holly Cadzow, a doctor in Melbourne, has decided for now to invest in her "education and memories".

Asked to name the most important thing in their lives, some in the group said their health, their faith and their pets. However, Emma Scanlan — like the vast majority — mentioned the people around her.

"The Covid pandemic has made me appreciate how important it is to have a good time with your friends and family and do things that make you happy outside of study and work," she said.

Class act

- The Otago Daily Times Class Act initiative began in 2000 as a way to celebrate the excellence of young people in the southern region. This year’s recipients will receive their awards from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in Dunedin on Thursday. Read about them in a special publication in the Otago Daily Times on Monday.