Michael Drake taught at Taupō-nui-a-Tia College for 46 years. Photo / File
Michael Drake taught at Taupō-nui-a-Tia College for 46 years. Photo / File
"I feel astonished really."
Those are the words of Taupō's Michael Drake, recipient of a Queen's Service Medal (QSM) for his services to education and the community.
He taught as a secondary teacher at Taupō-nui-a-Tia College between 1968 and 2013 and has also contributed to the wider community through church and the Taupō Coastguard.
"You don't go through life thinking 'one day I might receive a New Year's Honour'. I was astonished to be asked if I would accept it but I was also honoured because in the end it comes from your community," Drake said.
"They need to nominate you and probably provide quite a lot of evidence. So it seems to be that a group of people have put a lot of thought into it and a great deal of effort and I feel very honoured by that."
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Drake initially worked as a social studies and history teacher, but also held the roles of senior dean and senior advisory team member.
In 2000, he developed the Enhanced Learning Programme at the college, an innovative programme where students are taught to think clearly and more analytically.
He has been a mentor to staff and students throughout the school. He is now the school archivist and chairman of the college's Board of Trustees subcommittee overseeing the Alumni Fund.
He has been a parish organist at St Andrews Anglican Church in Taupō for 50 years. He was one of two founding members of the Taupō Coastguard, giving more than 45 years of service to the organisation.
Michael Drake has been playing the St Andrew's Anglican Church organ for more than 50 years. Photo / File
He became a Life Member of the Taupō Coastguard in 1993.
Drake did not always plan to be a teacher. When he finished school himself he never wanted to set foot in one again.
"Not that I hated school but I'd sort of had enough of school. I went to university with an open mind, without anything in particular in mind.
"After five years there I had to choose my next step. I had started to come to the opinion that young people were not always well treated by the system.
"I spent some time as a young man teaching at youth groups and things like that and found I was able to relate quite well to young people. I thought it might be that I could make a contribution and succeed in that area."
The rest is history.
Drake says the highlight of his career has been meeting ex-pupils, some of them in their 50s or 60s, and hearing them say he helped them realise what they could achieve.
