When head boy Renata Ngata, 16, (Ngāti Porou) left Taupō Intermediate School in 2017, his final report card mentioned his leadership skills and predicted he was on course to be head boy in 2022.
During his time at college, he has held leadership roles within a number of sports teams, including being captain of last year's 1st XV rugby team.
Stephen says Renata stepped up to the role of kaikōrero for the Year 9 welcoming pōwhiri, as the teacher who would normally make the speeches was unable to attend.
Deputy head boy Xavier Skelton, 17, says it wasn't until Year 11 or Year 12 that he began to think about being a student leader. He was involved in the Young Enterprise Scheme last year, placing second in the regional finals, and this year he wants to win.
"I began my quest to become a leader when I started to get involved in the school," Xavier says.
He brings a high level of energy to the role and, to the delight of the other students, he sang a parody to a song from the movie Frozen as part of the head student video application process.
Deputy head girl Uleah Foua, 17, says being a head student has been in the back of her head, but she didn't want to push it. Her parents were quite surprised when she showed them her video application for a leadership position.
Uleah has played rugby league for Bay of Plenty and plays in the school girls' 1st XV rugby team. She says she brings a fun approach and has aspirations to draw upon her Samoan and Tokelauan heritage and start up a Polynesian cultural group at school.
The students have a vision to reunite the school after the disruption caused by Covid-19.
Stephen laments the loss of whole-school assemblies and scaled-back colours day.
Xavier says he hopes to see opportunities for all the student year groups to bond and also "to bridge the gap between students and teachers". Uleah says the students have got too used to being at home.
"This makes them stay back, and put their guard up."
They are thinking of creative and fun ways to bring students together. Renata says they are hoping to run a lunchtime kī-o-rahi competition (Māori ball sport), and create more events as allowed.
"You get to meet new people and have fun."
Angelina says the senior students connected really well with the Year Nine students at colours day, and hopes these connections will help students to build on the school's cornerstone values system.
Working on their leadership skills will be a challenge for this year, but the student leaders also have an eye on the future.
Angelina is aiming for an NCEA excellence in physical education and hopes to pursue a volleyball path to university, either in New Zealand or overseas.
Renata is going to "try to keep the streak" and gain an excellence endorsement and hopes to follow a career in sports combined with Māori and/or French language.
Uleah says her dream is a career in sports or with a rugby focus.
Xavier is hoping for a merit endorsement and says this year is a personal growth year "to try and figure out what I am going to do with my life".
