Last month she was one of 11 students, accompanied by teachers Noni Gabb and Logan Rae, to take part in a 20-day World Challenge trip to Nepal.
The hands-on adventure involved a nine-day hike through the mountains, staying in tea houses, experiencing Nepalese culture and giving back to the local community.
One of the main parts of the students’ journey was visiting a mothers’ group in Tang Ting, where there were no toilet facilities.
Students spent time getting to know the locals who use the mothers’ group hub and constructed bathroom facilities for them, which will be used by about 50 people.
Gabb says the kids were "workhorses".
"I was blown away ... They worked the same way that the Nepali people do, strapping materials around their head and had big baskets on their back, walking up and down steps all day — it was crazy to see how much some of them were in their element."
Coming back from the trip, Cleo says the biggest thing she’s taken away from the experience is how wasteful we can be.
"Where I was, they had very restricted hot water access, no toilet paper and have a culture where it is rude not to finish yourplate.
"It’s really taught me to not worry about the material things in life and appreciate what I have — it was eye-opening to see how happy everyone was, despite not having lots."
Gabb says it was awesome to see how much the students grew during their trip.
"They grew in confidence, and grew in identifying the differences in culture and appreciating what we’ve got."
It’s the first time Wakatipu High’s offered the World Challenge opportunity to students since Covid.
