So, when it came time to give something back, the Dunedin school was the first place he thought of.
The 14-year-old was one of eight Otago Boys High School pupils who organised and ran Rotary Park School's sports day yesterday as part of the participation and contribution to the community component of the new school curriculum.
Old-fashioned games such as sack racing and egg-and-spoon racing brought squeals of delight from the primary pupils.
"Their smiles - they make you feel like you're doing a good thing," he said.
"We saw this as an opportunity to fulfil a component of the curriculum. We also thought it would be good for the kids to get out and do different things in the outdoors.
"We're loving the interaction with the kids," he said.
About 80 pupils participated in the sports day, and Tom said it had been so successful, he hoped it would become an annual event, with the involvement of pupils from Otago Boys High School.
