Holly Parkes
Holly Parkes
From academic high-flyer to the high seas, one outstanding Cromwell College pupil has set her sights on a career in the navy.
A thirst for adventure has driven Holly Parkes to eye a return to her native country and try her hand with the Royal Australian Navy as part of a defence force gap year.
The 17-year-old has also considered applying to the Australian National University, with a view to studying strategic studies, examining security threats across the world.
Holly says she is inspired by her grandmother, Jocelyn Parks, a retired nurse.
The teenager has shown her own caring side when she won the St John Grand Prior Award.
Her history of serving the community extended to gaining silver and bronze Duke of Edinburgh Awards, and she aims to complete her gold this year.
Should she choose not to pursue a career in the armed forces, Holly has also shown promising business acumen, and has several school awards in the field.
Achievements: NCEA level 2 with excellence (2019); NCEA level 1 with excellence (2018); silver Duke of Edinburgh Award (2019); bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (2017); Cromwell College Commerce Cup winner (2019); first equal in year 11 music (2018); first in class year 12 business (2019); first in class year 12 history (2019); runner-up top year 10 pupil (2017); house leader (2020); student council (2019-20); assistant director 2020 Cromwell College production; year 7 volleyball coach (2020); Sticks and Stones ambassador (2014-16); first place in over 5th kyu Timaru Kata Competition (2019); double graded 5th kyu (yellow belt with tab); kyokushin karate (2020); double graded to 7th kyu (blue belt with tab) kyokushin karate (2018); graded to 9th kyu (orange belt with tab) kyokushin karate (2017); graded to 10th kyu (orange belt) kyokushin karate (2017); ABRSM grade 4 theory paper with distinction (2019); ABRSM grade 4 piano exam with pass (2019); ABRSM grade 3 piano exam with merit (2018); third place Southland Jazz Festival with senior jazz band (2018); ABRSM grade 3 theory paper with merit (2017); second place Southland Jazz Festival with senior jazz band (2017); ABRSM grade 2 piano exam with merit (2017); ABRSM grade 2 theory exam with distinction (2016); ABRSM grade 1 theory paper with distinction (2015); first place in IRMT NZ composition competition (2014); Grand Prior Award St John (2018); corporal in St John Youth (2018); first place in pairs one and two test South Island regional St John competitions (2018); first place junior team aggregate Central Otago St John competitions (2015).
Role model: My grandma.
Hopes for the future: Join the navy.
Bella Dickison
Bella Dickison
A young rugby, netball and volleyball star hopes to extend her reach to catching criminals in future years.
Bella Dickison is considering a career in the police, but the Cromwell College pupil is less certain about her immediate next steps.
She is contemplating reading philosophy or psychology at university, having whetted her appetite for the former subject when on a exchange placement to Canada last year.
Bella has certainly proved adept at communicating, having coached a years 5 and 6 combined netball team and a years 7 and 8 volleyball side this year.
Her zeal for harmonious resolution has led her to be a founding member of Cromwell Youth Council and the 17-year-old said interacting with others was what drove her.
With both silver and bronze Duke of Edinburgh Awards under her belt, Bella has shown she can tough things out and give back to the community. She considers those are ideal traits for a police officer.
Her role models are her mother, Jo Ennion, and Pakistani author, activist Malala Yousafza.
Achievements: Cultural prefect (2020), Cromwell College kapa haka (2019-20), exchange to Canada (2019), board of trustees representative (2020), school council (2018-20), UC scholarship for European Union Studies paper at Model European Union Conference (2018), NCEA level 1 excellence endorsement (2018), level 2 excellence endorsement (2019), distance education award (2019), 1st in distance, 1st in internal mathematics (2019), Rural Women of New Zealand Diligence Award (2018), Cromwell College senior A netball team (2020), Cromwell College girls volleyball (2019-2020), Cromwell Vixens Rugby Team (2020), years 5 and 6 netball coach (2020), years 7 and 8 volleyball coach (2020), Central Otago representative netball (2017-18), silver Duke of Edinburgh Award (2019), bronze Duke of Edinburgh (2018), year 7 peer support (2020), founder member Cromwell Youth Council (2020).
