College – Issue 42

“I always felt like school was just a place to learn but at College you truly feel like a core member of the community. I think the best testament to this has to be the House system.”

International Week,” Claude says. “It was something that myself and many other people had worked so hard towards, so it was a great relief to see so many boys taking part and having fun. One of the most heart-warming things was seeing the difference that it made to students with diverse backgrounds and their response made all the hard work worth it. “It was great to see the whole school really embrace the message of the week and that moment has definitely strengthened my resolve to continue in this area.” Awarded university scholarships to Victoria, Canterbury and Otago for academic excellence and leadership, Claude also achieved Scholarship in Geography in Year 12, Excellence at all NCEA levels, and undertook a challenging STAR course in Political Science at the University of Canterbury in 2021, with excellent results. In Year 13, he further achieved Scholarship in Geography (Outstanding), English and History. Fluent in French, Claude was awarded a Gold Badge in 2020 and a Gold Tie in 2021 for academic achievement, along with Honours Ties in debating and Theatresports. For Claude, “going to College has really changed my idea of what it means to go to school”. “I always felt like school was just a place to learn but at College you truly feel like a core member of the community,” he says. “I think the best testament to this has to be the House system. One of the things I have appreciated

most about coming to school here has been the boys I have got to know in Rolleston over my five years. We all have very different personalities and interests, and yet we are all close friends. “Being a part of the House has also given me the opportunity to take part in events and support the House spirit. Some of my best memories have been doing House Plays, debating, Music and sport, and it is at those times that you truly feel like you’re part of a family,” he adds. Claude points out that like any student who has entered through those “daunting front gates, I have left quite a different person”. “Before coming to College, I was definitely a very shy person and I would often find myself lost in the crowd,” he says. “Christ's College definitely throws you in the deep end and I can confidently say that I am a better person now than I was when I arrived at school five years ago. “Since coming to College, I have participated in every imaginable activity and while it took a while to convince me of the benefits of compulsory sport, through blood, sweat and tears I have come to appreciate the ‘gruelling’, once a

Immerse & Inspire programme is one of my fondest memories of my time at school and it definitely felt like the perfect ‘well-rounded College experience’.” He has also learnt “more about the person I want to be”. “Through going out of my comfort zone, I’ve discovered my passions that I will keep with me even after I’ve said goodbye to school.” Claude credits his teachers as being “one of the most positive aspects of the whole school”, saying that “without them, I would not be where I am today”. “I have to thank every one of my teachers for helping me reach the goals that I've set for myself,” he says. “One of the best things about going to Christ's College is that it feels like every teacher knows who you are, and wants to know how they can support you. “It is only with the passion, enthusiasm, and dedication of our teachers that every student is able to attain success. “Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini – My strength is not as an individual, but as a collective.” After taking up his Victoria University of Wellington scholarship, Claude is studying law, political science, and French.

week volleyball practices. “While reluctant at first, the

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