Dux students in Gisborne 2025: Top school achievers share goals and advice

Else Pauwels is the Gisborne Girls' High School Dux for 2025.

Who were the students who shone the brightest academically this year? The Gisborne Herald spoke to Gisborne Girls’ High School’s Else Pauwels, Gisborne Boys’ High School’s Nathaniel Fearnley, Campion College’s Lien Ruelens, Lytton High School’s Thom Caughley and Tolaga Bay Area School’s Ihaira Kirikiri – all chosen as Dux of their five Gisborne and East Coast secondary schools – about their achievements and hopes for the future.

Gisborne Girls’ High School

Else Pauwels

Dux of Gisborne Girls' High School, Else Pauwels.

Else Pauwels describes herself as a “curious learner” who has always wanted to know the why and how.

It’s been a busy year for Else. She won end-of-year awards for English, chemistry and biology, the values award for mana motuhaketanga and the Year 13 impromptu speech prize.

She was a prefect of the Enviro Council who helped lead a soft plastic waste reduction project.

Else played keyboard in the band Dad’s Garage, who placed third at the Smokefree Rockquest East Coast regional final, and is also a competitive road cyclist.

On top of this, she did two GirlBoss NZ courses for Sustainability and Tech for Good and completed her bronze Duke of Edinburgh award.

Next year she is having a gap year in Belgium, the birthplace of her father.

When she returns, she wants to study for a Bachelor of Social and Environmental Sustainability at Canterbury University.

Her ultimate career goal is to “have a tangible, measurable impact on stopping climate change – whether that be around human behaviour, science or a mix of both”.

“Apart from having a positive impact on climate change, I want to be a kind, world-aware person who helps others,” Else said.

Her advice to other students embarking on their final year of high school next year is: “Don’t give up, you’ve made it this far, and be kind to yourself.”

Gisborne Boys’ High School

Nathaniel Fearnley

Dux of Gisborne Boys' High School 2025, Nathaniel Fearnley.

Nathaniel Fearnley thought he was done with school last year, but decided to come back because he had something to prove to himself.

“To come back, stay focused and end the year as Dux feels like a reward for committing to that decision and backing myself,” Nathaniel said.

“It’s also a reflection of the support I’ve received from my teachers and friends who’ve believed in me.”

Describing himself as determined, competitive and hardworking, he said once he set a goal, he worked hard to achieve it.

“I put a lot more effort into managing my time, studying properly and staying consistent across all my subjects. The improvement has been massive compared to last year, where my Level 2 results weren’t as strong as I wanted.

“My work throughout the year led to top results across my subjects and ultimately being named Dux. It’s been a big turnaround and it’s something I’m genuinely proud of, given the doubts I had at the end of last year.”

He has also excelled on the sports field, playing Premier Grade and Poverty Bay age-group representative cricket and representing the school’s First XIs in cricket and football.

On top of this, he has been involved in umpiring cricket games, refereeing football and coaching younger cricket players.

Next year Nathaniel will start studying for a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours at the University of Waikato.

“Engineering is something that’s always interested me, especially the problem-solving side of it and the chance to work on projects that make a real difference to communities.”

His advice to other students embarking on their last year of school is not to count themselves out.

“Even if your previous results aren’t where you want them to be, your final year is a chance to reset and prove what you’re capable of.

“Stay organised, ask for help when you need it and surround yourself with people who push you to do better. And make the most of the year – it goes faster than you expect.”

Campion College

Lien Ruelens

Lien Ruelens receives the Dux trophy from Campion College principal Paul McGuinness.

Lien said it was always her goal to achieve Dux at Campion College.

It reflects the effort and dedication she has put in since she began high school.

Lien and her family moved to Gisborne from Aalst in Belgium in 2018. She is continuing a history of academic excellence in her family. Eldest sister Hannah was proxime accessit in 2021, and second-eldest sister Sarah was Dux at Campion College in 2022.

“They left me with big shoes to fill, and now I feel sorry for my younger sister,” Lien said.

Lien was head girl at Campion and described herself as “dedicated, hard-working and curious”.

“I am so grateful for my parents. They really push me to do the best I can in every aspect of my life. They support anything I set my mind to, and I love them so much.”

This year, she was awarded a bronze certificate in a competition that aims to train students to represent the country in the International Biology Olympiad, NZIBO.

She achieved excellence in every internal across the six subjects she took in NCEA.

Lien was top in chemistry, biology, physics, maths and religious education.

She also achieved colours in special character for her work in making Campion a Christ-centred community and received the Christ Cross, the highest achievement in the school.

This award goes to any students who achieve highly across the three areas of focus - leadership through service, sports & culture, and academics.

Lien received the PTFA cup for service to the community.

“This was likely in part for my work as head girl, as well as for starting and running our school’s volunteering club this year,” she said.

“I was also awarded Top Volunteer for the most volunteering hours logged through the SVA.”

Next year she will being her studies in health science at the University of Otago with the hopes of entering pharmacy in the second year.

“Ultimately, I would love to be a pharmacist, but I am open to seeing what university will bring me, and if I change my mind, that’s okay also.

“Outside of school, I am interested in community volunteering. It fills me with joy to be able to do something positive for my community. I am passionate about the environment and about looking for more ways we can be sustainable.”

Lytton High School

Thom Caughley

Lytton High School Dux 2025, Thom Caughley.

Thom Caughley was deputy head prefect at Lytton High in 2025.

He excelled in all three sciences, statistics and calculus, as well as drama, earning 59 credits - 43 of which were at excellence level.

He was top of every class except for statistics.

Academic excellence runs in the family.

Thom’s older sister Lyra was Dux of Gisborne Girls’ High School in 2022.

He credits his “kind and supportive parents” for helping him achieve such excellent results in NCEA.

Next year, Thom will attend Victoria University in Wellington, where he will study in the field of biomedical sciences with majors in chemistry and molecular pharmacology and medicinal chemistry.

“I was very lucky to receive a scholarship from Mātai Research Institute, which will go towards my university costs,” he said.

He hopes to work in the field of biomedical/chemical research, such as drug development.

Passionate about drama, he was involved in various drama productions during his time at Lytton, including this year’s staging of Wheeler’s Luck.

He also took part in the Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand (SGCNZ) Regional and National Shakespeare Festivals.

His future goals include “finding work in a fairly specific field that both interests me and is helpful to others”.

He also likes to do game development, which he would like to explore in parallel to more traditional study or work.

Thom said he was very proud to be awarded Dux.

“The most important part of the last five years of my life has been slowly better understanding who I am.

“Lytton High School has been a great place for me to do this, since it is so full of caring people, whether that is students or staff.”

Tolaga Bay Area School

Ihaira Kirikiri

Ihaira Kirikiri, Dux of Tolaga Bay Area School 2025.

Ihaira Kirikiri said 2025 had been his strongest year academically for which he set high goals and achieved them.

“Being awarded Dux means a lot to me. It represents the challenges I have faced and moments where I had to push myself, even when things felt difficult,” Ihaira said.

He was born and raised in Ūawa and has a supportive whānau who have taught him to take pride in his heritage.

“My whānau have always supported me and played key roles in keeping me grounded and taking pride in where I come from.”

Ihaira this year stepped into a leadership role as the student representative of Tolaga Bay Area School & Kahukuranui.

He said he had learned valuable lessons on what it took to be a leader.

A talented musician, he represented his school in Smokefree Rockquest and the Play It Strange competition this year.

“Outside of school, I am really interested in music and sounds. I enjoy experimenting with my music, exploring different genres and using tools and software to change the feel of the sound.”

Next year, Ihaira will attend Massey University, where he will study for a Bachelor of Music, majoring in music technology with a minor in music practice.

“My dream is to be a diverse musician and work across different styles, genres and projects.”

He has taken part in a lot of extra-curricular activities this year such as travelling to Hikirangi, an outdoor experience where he learned about his culture.

He represented his school in kī-o-rahi – a fast-paced, dynamic Māori sport that combines elements of tag rugby, touch and strategy-based gameplay.

“I was honoured to be able to speak at our Anzac service and to take part in Nga Manu Korero (speech competition), which has really strengthened my speaking capabilities,” he said.

“I have also been able to give back to my community by helping out with events like Anzac and our Islander-themed event for the elderly.

“Lastly, I have been able to give back to my school by serving as the student representative, attending meetings to suggest what could improve our students’ time at school.”

His dream is to be ”a diverse musician and work across different styles and projects".

“I want to create music that connects with people, that represents where I come from, and ultimately set my footprint, not just in New Zealand, but the world.”

He appreciated the sense of whakawhanaungatanga (the process of building and maintaining relationships, creating connections and fostering a sense of belonging and kinship) at Tolaga Bay Area School & Kahukuranui.

“This has given me a sense of belonging at school, of feeling connected with my peers as well as my teachers and feeling genuinely supported by them.”

His advice to students embarking on their final year of high school was to take advantage of all opportunities, no matter how scary.

“Say yes, even when your voice shakes. Say yes, even when you doubt yourself, because these are the moments that will shape you.”