Benjamin Richards
This year the 18-year-old logged an impressive 600 service hours for the Student Volunteer Army.
He did most of them leading a Christian youth camp in Waihola for children aged 9 to 13 years old.
He said it was a great way to combine his love of the outdoors, faith and nature as a helpful person.
‘‘I’m of the belief that you should be trying to bring people to God the best way you can.’’
Benjamin had been leading camps since he was 15 years old.
It was easier for him to relate to the children being a similar age.
‘‘I don’t know if I’m qualified to give advice because I’m still a kid myself, but I try my best where I can.’’
He found helping others quite rewarding.
‘‘I don’t want to spend my holidays doing things for myself. I want to help other people a little bit.’’
He was planning on taking a gap year next year to work in the skifields in Canada.
Following that he was planning on studying law.
Achievements
600 SVA service hours (2024); SVA silver badge (expected to reach gold award in 2024); volunteer leader at Waihola Youth Camps; Prefect (2024); Junior Blues A volleyball (2020, 2021); most-improved junior volley baller (2021); Senior Whites B volleyball (2022); Senior Blues A volleyball (2023); cricket Junior Premier Blue team (2020-21); 3rd XI cricket (2022-23); Rugby Senior Colts Blue (2022); 3rd XV rugby (2023-24), NCEA excellence-endorsed level 2 (2023), Morris Prize for creative writing (2023), history scholarship recipient (2023); studying politics through the University of Canterbury distance programme (2024).
Role model
Saint Paul the Apostle.
Hopes for the future
Wants to make a difference in others’ lives and go on mission trips around the world.
Fergus Oberlin-Brown
Within a couple of years the 17-year-old has gone from playing for the Otago Boys’ High School 4th XI team to being selected as a part of the New Zealand under-18 squad.
He says he had a bit of talent to begin with but just started working really hard on his game in year 11, training five or six times and playing two games every week.
‘‘I just loved it so much.’’
In year 12 he started playing club hockey for the Albany Alligators development team and it was not long before he was playing full time in the men’s premier grade.
He loved playing at the highest level because all the players were so disciplined and moved the ball around really fast, he said.
The hockey community was very supportive.
‘‘When you do stuff right in the hockey field it just feels really good when everyone gets around you.’’
Fergus has also represented Otago in tennis since he was in year 7.
He said it took more of a mental toll on him as an individual.
‘‘You’re by yourself out there. You can go spiral down a really negative path really quickly.’’
He went through a phase in year 11 when he lost a few games on the trot he felt he should not have lost.
That was when he decided to focus more on enjoying the match than winning it.
‘‘It became so much more fun for me.’’
Fergus said playing hockey and tennis had taught him a lot about dealing with high-pressure situations even as head boy this year.
Next year, he was planning on studying first-year health science at the University of Otago.
Achievements
Head prefect (2024), tennis coach (2022-24); hockey coach (2023-24); sustainability group (2022-24); Town Belt Kaitiaki environment group (2023 and 2024); member of the Albany Hockey Club division 2 men’s winning team (2023); Albany Hockey Club division 2 men’s most valuable player (2023); Albany Hockey Club premier men’s team (2024); OBHS 1st XI (2022-24); OBHS 1st XI player of the year (2024); hockey blues (2022 and 2023); Otago Academy of Sport (2024); Otago tennis representative (2019-24); OBHS tennis inter-school team (2023 and 2024); OBHS tennis South Island tournament team (2024); Balmacewen Tennis Club division 2 men’s (2022-24); OBHS tennis doubles trophy with Hugo Barsby (2023); tennis blues (2023 and 2024).
Role model
Black Stick and former OBHS student Kane Russell.
Hopes for the future
Become a Black Stick and play overseas.
