Activities such as debating or speech, creative writing, ethics and facilitating will highlight the students keen to pursue additional challenges. For Emma, it is satisfying to help the boys expand their minds in new directions. This year, she is also supporting seven Year 12 and Year 13 boys who are taking the STAR course at the University of Canterbury, adding university lectures to their already busy schedules. Then there are those keen to be involved in a wide range of opportunities outside the College curriculum. These include the Model Parliament, the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, and the Model United Nations. They all represent chances for the boys to experience something beyond their normal realm, and opportunities to test themselves in a broader setting. “What I find is that the boys who demonstrate interest in a topic are usually both incredibly talented and incredibly motivated,” she says. “Their fascination with a topic, and their curiosity, is amazing to witness. I’m in awe of what they can do, and how they run with opportunities. Their capacity to juggle what they’re already doing here at College, and to take on more, is staggering. There’s no compulsion. They’re happy to do it, self-motivated and self-driven, and they deserve to succeed.” Working with such outstanding scholars is invigorating, she says. “They’re a great bunch of kids to work with. I simply provide the ideas, offer the openings and facilitate their progress. Really, it’s up to them.” Contrary to supposition, not all are necessarily “top scholars”, she says. “However, they’ve got talents and skills and a real interest in what they’re pursuing, and it’s that enthusiasm and curiosity which drives them.”
“The boys who demonstrate interest in a topic are usually both incredibly talented and incredibly motivated.” Emma Bracken
College Issue 41 2021
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