Bayfield High School

Benjamin Pickering

Something you didn’t know about Benjamin Pickering is he loves to beatbox.

The 18-year-old said his life changed when he watched a 2019 YouTube beatboxing world league best drops compilation video.

‘‘I was like, ‘oh that’s so cool’, and I just wanted to start doing it, so I did.’’

He immediately began teaching himself how to beatbox by watching YouTube videos.

‘‘I’m pretty serious about it. I often engage in online competitions,’’ he said.

A mixture of curiosity and wanting to explore new things often led him to doing deep dives and learning a lot.

That might explain why he switched to playing the trombone after five years of playing the violin.

‘‘I must’ve liked the sound of the trombone or something.’’

This year, he played the bass trombone for the New Zealand Secondary Schools Symphony Orchestra and National Secondary Schools Brass Band.

He said his parents also gave him a strong foundation in academia.

‘‘I’ve been surrounded by music and academia my whole life.’’

Next year, he was planning on studying biochemistry or ecology, and continuing to play music.

Achievements

Head boy (2024); school orchestra (2020-24); BHS jazz band (2020-24); BHS small jazz combo (2020-24); Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand Ida Gaskin Shakespeare essay competition (2023); Dunedin Symphony Orchestra bass trombonist; Synthony Electric Avenue (2024); DSO Dunedin concerto competition finalists’ concert (2023); 1st University of Otago Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival (2023); New Zealand Secondary Schools (NZSS) Symphony Orchestra bass trombonist (2024); NZSS Brass Band (2021-23); Dunedin Youth Orchestra (2020-24); Dunedin Youth Jazz Orchestra (2020-24); BHS show lead (2024); 1st in music (2023); Dunedin Youth Jazz Festival best trombone performance (2023); Chamber Music Competition best original composition (2023); cultural blues music award (2023); BHS premier performing arts award (2023); ice dancing (2018-23); New Zealand Ice Figure Skating Association Nationals (2023); BHS figure skating award (2020-23).

Role models

Bass trombonist Lionel Fumeux, jazz trombonist Wycliffe Gordon and my grandfather Donald Cullington, an excellent pianist and organist.

Hopes for the future

To see some sort of equity and agreement reached worldwide. If we all worked together, things would get better.

Louisa Campbell-Lowe

Louisa Campbell-Lowe wants to help Māori reconnect with their culture.

Up until last year, she was a ‘‘science and maths’’ type of a person.

However, issues pertaining to Māori and Te Tiriti highlighted by the general election motivated her to become either a politician or a family lawyer helping Māori and Pasifika.

‘‘I wanted to do forensic science, but after the election and everything around that just made me want to go into politics and have the chance to make those big decisions for the country.’’

She said she did not know a lot about her Māori side because it had been lost through generations of her family.

‘‘Sometimes I can feel awkward at marae because I didn’t get to grow up in that environment and I don’t have family who have been able to tell me what to expect when going there.’’

However, with the help of her former Māori teacher Sheralyn Weepers, she was learning about her culture.

Learning te reo had been difficult for her because she did not have people to speak it to.

‘‘It just feels awkward to say stuff to people who don’t understand it.

‘‘But I sing a lot in kapa haka group which I guess is my way of expressing the language.’’

She wanted to work with her iwi Kāi Tahu, and help others reconnect with their whakapapa like she was doing.

Achievements

Head girl (2024); student council chairwoman (2024); kapa haka (2012-24); Kaitataki Wahine (2022-24); school show (2020, 2021 and 2024); volunteer lifeguard (2020-24); top Otago crew for inflatable rescue boats (2024); assists Tikanga prefects (2024); school karakia lead (2022-24); student mentor (2022-24); school open night assistant (2020-24); kapa haka cultural merit award (2023); Ngā Manu Korero regionals (2024); disability support worker (2023-24); 1st in NCEA level 2 te reo Māori, level 2 mathematics and level 2 economics (2023); inflatable rescue boat national competitions (2022-24); junior and senior competitive surf lifesaving teams manager (2020-24); excellence endorsed NCEA level 1 and 2; marine VHF radio certified (2022); first aid certified (2022); junior leadership award (2020).