Nathan Harrison and Shay Veitch are the 2019 Class Act recipients for John McGlashan College.
Nathan Harrison
Nathan Harrison
For some, juggling too many diverse activities can be a distraction.
But for high-achieving musician, athlete and academic Nathan Harrison, it helps him find clarity and focus in the things he does.
When asked if he is more of a musician than an athlete, or visa versa, the John McGlashan College 17-year-old said: ''I honestly couldn't tell you.''
''I like to keep a good balance between sport, music and academic work.
''I find that one gives me a break from the others. They all complement each other.
''Going away and doing some music means my brain is in a better state to go and do some maths, and that in turn helps me get ready to go training.
''They're not distractions. They're good for clearing my head and helping me focus. And it means I never get bored.''
His passions have seen him achieve gold medals in the South Island Secondary Schools Athletics Championships high jump in 2015, 2016 and 2017, and silver in 2018; he set a new under-16 school high jump record and won the athletics champion of champions cup last year; he was a member of the South Island record-breaking 4x400m relay team member last year; he is this year's school senior high jump champion; and he has been ranked among the top 10 national secondary school high jumpers for the past three years.
Alongside that, he has achieved first-class honours in the grade 8 ANZCA piano exam, he is leader of the alto saxophone section in the Dunedin Youth Jazz Orchestra, and he was a finalist in the Otago Rockquest in 2017 and 2018.
Nathan is also successful in the classroom - particularly in maths, in which he achieved a New Zealand Scholarship in calculus last year.
Next year, he plans to study engineering and commerce at the University of Melbourne.
He also hopes to study further afield for a year in Spain, to build on the Spanish he has learnt so far.
Achievements: Arts and cultural prefect (2019); ANZCA grade 8 (first class honours) piano (2018); Dunedin Youth Jazz Orchestra 1st alto saxophone (2018-19); John McGlashan, St Hilda’s and Columba College school musicals (2014-19); Rockquest regional finalist (2017, 2018); school jazz band (2014-19); school choir (2014-19); athletics champion of champions cup (2018); U16 high jump school record (2018); school senior high jump champion (2019); top 10 in national secondary schools high jump rankings (2017, 2018, 2019); 1st SISS Athletics Championships high jump (2015, 2016, 2017), 2nd (2018); 1st XI football team (2018-19); South Island record-breaking 4x400m relay team member (2018); Ariki Athletics Club high jump coach (2018, 2019); NZ Scholarship calculus (2018); 40-hour famine school ambassador (2019).
Role model: My dad, Blair Harrison.
Hopes for the future: To study engineering and commerce at the University of Melbourne.
Shay Veitch
Shay Veitch
Shay Veitch has never been one to leap into something.
He likes to play the long game - especially when it comes to achieving goals.
The national long jump gold medallist says his secret to success is setting himself a lot of small goals that lead to achieving big goals.
It is something the 18-year-old John McGlashan College pupil has learned from spending more than five years studying in Shanghai, China.
He says the education style taught him how to set goals and study meticulously and diligently - not just in academia, but in sport as well.
''Everyone there was very, very driven and teachers would encourage you and push you to do well in your studies.
''I still hold those values.''
Since returning to New Zealand three years ago, he has won gold medals at the New Zealand Athletics Championships under-20 long jump this year, the New Zealand Secondary Schools Athletics Championships long jump last year, set school records in the long jump, triple jump and 100m this year, and won the Athletics Otago athlete of the year award for the past season.
His ultimate goal is to represent New Zealand at the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games and/or the World Athletics Championships one day.
But rather than focus on the end goal, he is focusing on the small, everyday goals that he can achieve to get him there.
''I enjoy going into training each day and making sure I'm furthering my distances and shortening my times.
''If it happens, it happens. I'm confident that if I keep working away at it, it will happen.''
Shay says the by-product of his goal-setting technique is it builds confidence in other areas of his life - like academia.
This year, he is studying higher level chemistry, economics and biology, and standard level English, Chinese and mathematics in the International Baccalaureate diploma programme.
Shay has a passion for sciences, particularly chemistry and biology, and plans to study health sciences next year.
He says the course provides many career opportunities and he is looking forward to finding one that is a good fit for him.
Not surprisingly, he plans to keep chipping away at his athletics goals at the same time.
Achievements: NZ Championships U20 long jump gold medallist (2019); NZ Secondary Schools Championships long jump gold medallist (2018); Athletics Otago years 12 and 13 athlete of the year (2018-19); school long jump, triple jump and 100m record holder (2019); 1st XI football (2017-2019); school junior football team coach (2019).
Role model: All professional athletes.
Hopes for the future: To study sciences while pursuing athletics in the United States or at the University of Otago.
