Whangarei sisters share success

Watching Whangarei sisters Hannah and Briar Thompson interact is like watching a girl dally with her reflection.
Both girls have streams of brown hair and matched bursts of laughter.
Both were deputy head prefects of Whangarei Girls' High School. And both girls have a combined six tertiary scholarships to their names.
Despite the obvious similarities between Hannah, 18, and Briar, 21, the duo declared in unison - to their own surprise - they are "completely different".
But the common thread of their early successes brings them back to the mirror.
Hannah, who has taken dance since Year 9, was selected for a $50,000 University of Auckland scholarship last year from 1100 applicants nationwide.
She came first in drama, physical education, health studies and dance.
She was named best all-round student in Year 13, voted personality of the year by students and named proxime accessit.
She was also one of 20 dancers selected from 100 nationally for the Auckland-based, internationally acclaimed dance company Black Grace's 2010 mentoring programme, UrbanYOUTHmovement.
Back track three years and her sister Briar accepted awards for first in english, art history, Maori, media studies, and first equal in art design.
She was named Dux and received a Waikato University vice-chancellor's Prize for Academic Excellence Scholarship, alongside another four tertiary scholarships.
Briar recently penned application forms to complete a masters degree in development studies, refugee and forced migration studies at prestigious English Cambridge and Oxford universities.
"It's impossible to get in but I'll have my fingers crossed until I find out the news," Briar said.
Despite their long list of achievements, the girls don't view themselves as the "successes" that others have branded them.
"Depends what you define as successful. For me it's not what you do, it's who you are," Hannah said.
And it's clear both girls have Robin Hood-esque streak their "successes" will contribute to.
"I think it would be awesome to work in third world countries to teach kids how to dance. It's just an idea at the moment but I definitely want to get involved with communities over there.
"Dance is an incredible way to bring heaps of people from different backgrounds together. Dance can be used as a medium for people to connect without words," Hannah said.
Briar already assists refugees to settle in New Zealand via volunteer work in Hamilton with Refugee Services.
"I'm working with a Cambodian family who arrived last month. It's really fun and extremely interesting. They have five children and we've just been helping them enrol in school," Briar said.
* Story thanks to Karina Cooper at The Whangarei Report