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TRIDENT ALUMNI
Welcome to our Trident High School Alumni - ex students from all eras!
PHOTO ARCHIVES
Our photo archives are available for you to view and print. Where available, class photos, magazines and other special photos from 1973 until now are included, with the exception of the 80's from which photos' are at large.
To view, please click here, then type the year that you are searching for into the search bar on the top left of the page.
If you have any copies of magazines and photos from the 1980's we would appreciate the opportunity to scan and make digital copies of them. If you manage to find some of these please contact our librarian by emailing librarian@trident.school.nz
Check out what some our our alumni have been up to since leaving school, by clicking on their profile.
If you want to share what you have been achieving since leaving Trident High School, please email media@trident.school.nz
Hayden Wilde
Class of 2015
OLYMPIC BRONZE MEDAL IN TRIATHLON
3X XC TRIATHLON WORLD CHAMPION
1X COAST TO COAST WORLD CHAMPION
2nd ITU WORLD CUP
3RD PLACE NZ ROAD RUNNING CHAMPS
3RD PLACE MIX TEAM RELAY WORLD TRIATHLON SERIES
RANKED 40TH IN THE WORLD
RANKED 5TH IN SUPER LEAGUE
MULTIPLE NZ NATIONAL CHAMP IN TRIATHLON AND RUNNING
RANKED 2ND IN NZ FOR TRIATHLON
Hayden Wilde started his triathlete career at Trident High School while a junior. He credits two of his PE teachers with seeing something in him that made them encourage him to have a go at Triathlons after having played football, rugby and hockey but no previous experience with Triathlons. With their support he decided to "jump out of my comfort zone and try something different". Jumping out of his comfort zone has seen Hayden flourish and become the athlete he is today. His teachers didn't stop at just encouraging him to have a go he says, they also went out of their way to continue to support him. Following this positive change in direction for Hayden, he was given the honour of being Trident's Deputy Head Boy and made Captain of the 1st ZI Hockey Team. Clearly the focus and determination that Hayden developed from his triathlon training helped develop him as a well rounded young man and who made the most of his time at Trident High School.
After leaving school Hayden made it onto the NZHP Triathlon Squad following the World Triathlon Series and he is now in the running for a position in the Olympic team for 2020.
Hayden believes that sitting down to assess who you are and who you want to be is important to getting on the path to success. Early on in his triathlon career, while at school, Hayden knew what his dream was and that was what he wanted to strive for. He wants everyone to know what their dream is, and to follow it. He says it is important at school to take advantage of all the opportunities you can, try everything because you don't know until you try it all, which will spark your dream. In terms of support from our Trident community Hayden says "I found that respecting teachers and giving up my own time to help them, the community and school, meant I was rewarded with the backing of pretty much everyone as Whakatāne is such a small but strong community. Having the backing of Trident meant I was surrounded with support and I don’t know where I would be without that." This community backing is something Hayden wants to repay as he wishes to create a sport foundation to support local kids in our community and wider New Zealand. With the strong mindset Hayden has to reaching his goals, we know he will do well in achieving this one too and we are very excited for Hayden's future.
OLYMPIC BRONZE MEDAL IN TRIATHLON
3X XC TRIATHLON WORLD CHAMPION
1X COAST TO COAST WORLD CHAMPION
2nd ITU WORLD CUP
3RD PLACE NZ ROAD RUNNING CHAMPS
3RD PLACE MIX TEAM RELAY WORLD TRIATHLON SERIES
RANKED 40TH IN THE WORLD
RANKED 5TH IN SUPER LEAGUE
MULTIPLE NZ NATIONAL CHAMP IN TRIATHLON AND RUNNING
RANKED 2ND IN NZ FOR TRIATHLON
Hayden Wilde started his triathlete career at Trident High School while a junior. He credits two of his PE teachers with seeing something in him that made them encourage him to have a go at Triathlons after having played football, rugby and hockey but no previous experience with Triathlons. With their support he decided to "jump out of my comfort zone and try something different". Jumping out of his comfort zone has seen Hayden flourish and become the athlete he is today. His teachers didn't stop at just encouraging him to have a go he says, they also went out of their way to continue to support him. Following this positive change in direction for Hayden, he was given the honour of being Trident's Deputy Head Boy and made Captain of the 1st ZI Hockey Team. Clearly the focus and determination that Hayden developed from his triathlon training helped develop him as a well rounded young man and who made the most of his time at Trident High School.
After leaving school Hayden made it onto the NZHP Triathlon Squad following the World Triathlon Series and he is now in the running for a position in the Olympic team for 2020.
Hayden believes that sitting down to assess who you are and who you want to be is important to getting on the path to success. Early on in his triathlon career, while at school, Hayden knew what his dream was and that was what he wanted to strive for. He wants everyone to know what their dream is, and to follow it. He says it is important at school to take advantage of all the opportunities you can, try everything because you don't know until you try it all, which will spark your dream. In terms of support from our Trident community Hayden says "I found that respecting teachers and giving up my own time to help them, the community and school, meant I was rewarded with the backing of pretty much everyone as Whakatāne is such a small but strong community. Having the backing of Trident meant I was surrounded with support and I don’t know where I would be without that." This community backing is something Hayden wants to repay as he wishes to create a sport foundation to support local kids in our community and wider New Zealand. With the strong mindset Hayden has to reaching his goals, we know he will do well in achieving this one too and we are very excited for Hayden's future.
Sarah Walker
Class of 2006
Sarah Walker is New Zealand’s first BMX Olympic medalist, having won Silver at the London Olympics in 2012. Having wanted to become an Olympian since she was just 8 years old, Sarah possesses the kind of drive that has ultimately led her to find success and continue to seek future success in her chosen sport BMX.
Sarah began her Trident High School career in 2002 and says she enjoyed her entire time at school and proudly says she was once a Trident pupil. Our high school years are some of our most formative, and finding like-minded peers that will go on to become lifelong friends is something many people treasure about their high school years. Like many people, Sarah acknowledges Trident as the place where she found she made those lifelong friendships after having started at Trident after starting not knowing anyone. Aside from making those important friendships, Sarah’s high school years were filled to the brim with her growing sporting career and knowledge that it was important she did well at school. With a focus to achieve at the sporting level she sought, Sarah also knew that sport wouldn’t last forever, so doing well in school was crucial. Doing well, while simultaneously travelling away to compete in BMX meant Sarah relied on the support from her teachers to be help her stay up to date with work. Sarah says each teacher she had challenged her in different ways which she loved, “I spent a lot of time off school with BMX and the support I had to keep up with my school work was invaluable. My favourite subject was PE but I also really loved the Sciences and Maths. I love learning new things and understanding them so I really enjoyed school”. It was lucky Sarah did enjoy school, because having dad, Graeme Walker, (ex Trident PE teacher) as a teacher meant she knew he was always up to date with how she was going in class!
While Sarah has numerous world titles and an Olympic Medal to be proud of, she is also proud that through her achievements many kiwis have now been exposed to BMX. This exposure means that younger kids are coming through in the sport and they are getting support and recognition at an earlier age.
During her career, Sarah has suffered set-backs through injuries, from which she has made fabulous come backs from, and these contribute to some of her highlights in BMX, being able call on her self-belief and push through obstacles. From winning Bronze at the 2015 World Champs after her biggest injury in 2014, followed by placing 3rd at a World Cup in Argentina at the end of 2018 after her last World Cup podium finish was in 2011, demonstrates the extent of Sarah’s drive! To be able to climb back to the top as Sarah has done has meant Sarah incorporated strict Goal Setting as part of her recovery. She says with goal setting, there needs to be a couple of steps beyond what we usually learn. Once a goal that scares you and pushes you is recognised, you need to believe you can achieve it, not just hope you can. Sarah says that our subconscious doesn't know the difference between the truth and a lie so she had to tell herself "I can win gold" leading into the London 2012 Olympics. It took her about 6 weeks of saying it to herself in the mirror every morning and every night but eventually she really believed she could. The next step was accepting that she could fail and that as long as she gave it her absolute best, that failure isn't a horrible or embarrassing thing. So everyday, she would train like she was going to win a Gold medal and when she won Silver, it really didn't matter because she had given it 100% and she was proud! “I have a mindset that we don't know what we can or can't do unless we try so I give it my best and see where it can take me! When I have been injured, I accept the situation, take any learnings and then continue giving my best to the next step.”
Trident consistently produces fine young sportspeople and Sarah has some advice for those who wish to make a career from their chosen sport “Make sure you include enjoyment/ fun into your training program, and give it 100% so no matter what the outcome is, you know you gave it everything! I wouldn't have a career as long as I have had if I didn't have these two things! Outside of those, even though I am in an individual sport, I couldn't make it without people to support me and help me be my best. Find who those people are who can help take you to the next level (eg: coach, gym trainer, psychologist, nutritionist, etc)”.
With a BMX riding as a career, it is clear Sarah is fuelled by adrenaline and courage and says it is her life goal to keep doing things that require courage. When she is scared of something and does it anyway, she feels really empowered and proud of herself. “I feel like I am really living life. So no matter what I do, being brave is a goal for whatever I want to do in the future!”.
Sarah Walker is New Zealand’s first BMX Olympic medalist, having won Silver at the London Olympics in 2012. Having wanted to become an Olympian since she was just 8 years old, Sarah possesses the kind of drive that has ultimately led her to find success and continue to seek future success in her chosen sport BMX.
Sarah began her Trident High School career in 2002 and says she enjoyed her entire time at school and proudly says she was once a Trident pupil. Our high school years are some of our most formative, and finding like-minded peers that will go on to become lifelong friends is something many people treasure about their high school years. Like many people, Sarah acknowledges Trident as the place where she found she made those lifelong friendships after having started at Trident after starting not knowing anyone. Aside from making those important friendships, Sarah’s high school years were filled to the brim with her growing sporting career and knowledge that it was important she did well at school. With a focus to achieve at the sporting level she sought, Sarah also knew that sport wouldn’t last forever, so doing well in school was crucial. Doing well, while simultaneously travelling away to compete in BMX meant Sarah relied on the support from her teachers to be help her stay up to date with work. Sarah says each teacher she had challenged her in different ways which she loved, “I spent a lot of time off school with BMX and the support I had to keep up with my school work was invaluable. My favourite subject was PE but I also really loved the Sciences and Maths. I love learning new things and understanding them so I really enjoyed school”. It was lucky Sarah did enjoy school, because having dad, Graeme Walker, (ex Trident PE teacher) as a teacher meant she knew he was always up to date with how she was going in class!
While Sarah has numerous world titles and an Olympic Medal to be proud of, she is also proud that through her achievements many kiwis have now been exposed to BMX. This exposure means that younger kids are coming through in the sport and they are getting support and recognition at an earlier age.
During her career, Sarah has suffered set-backs through injuries, from which she has made fabulous come backs from, and these contribute to some of her highlights in BMX, being able call on her self-belief and push through obstacles. From winning Bronze at the 2015 World Champs after her biggest injury in 2014, followed by placing 3rd at a World Cup in Argentina at the end of 2018 after her last World Cup podium finish was in 2011, demonstrates the extent of Sarah’s drive! To be able to climb back to the top as Sarah has done has meant Sarah incorporated strict Goal Setting as part of her recovery. She says with goal setting, there needs to be a couple of steps beyond what we usually learn. Once a goal that scares you and pushes you is recognised, you need to believe you can achieve it, not just hope you can. Sarah says that our subconscious doesn't know the difference between the truth and a lie so she had to tell herself "I can win gold" leading into the London 2012 Olympics. It took her about 6 weeks of saying it to herself in the mirror every morning and every night but eventually she really believed she could. The next step was accepting that she could fail and that as long as she gave it her absolute best, that failure isn't a horrible or embarrassing thing. So everyday, she would train like she was going to win a Gold medal and when she won Silver, it really didn't matter because she had given it 100% and she was proud! “I have a mindset that we don't know what we can or can't do unless we try so I give it my best and see where it can take me! When I have been injured, I accept the situation, take any learnings and then continue giving my best to the next step.”
Trident consistently produces fine young sportspeople and Sarah has some advice for those who wish to make a career from their chosen sport “Make sure you include enjoyment/ fun into your training program, and give it 100% so no matter what the outcome is, you know you gave it everything! I wouldn't have a career as long as I have had if I didn't have these two things! Outside of those, even though I am in an individual sport, I couldn't make it without people to support me and help me be my best. Find who those people are who can help take you to the next level (eg: coach, gym trainer, psychologist, nutritionist, etc)”.
With a BMX riding as a career, it is clear Sarah is fuelled by adrenaline and courage and says it is her life goal to keep doing things that require courage. When she is scared of something and does it anyway, she feels really empowered and proud of herself. “I feel like I am really living life. So no matter what I do, being brave is a goal for whatever I want to do in the future!”.
Courtney Wilson
Class of 2019
Arthur Stone
Class of 1977
Former All Black (1981-1985)
Arthur is one of Trident High School’s first students who started in the third form when Trident opened its doors in 1973. In 1973 Trident was only open to third and fourth form and each year it opened up a new level meaning Arthur completed his five years of high school at Trident. The ex- All Black played for our national team in 23 matches including nine international games. Since retiring from rugby Arthur has run his building company in Dunedin. While he has lived in Dunedin for some time, he has strong ties to Whakatane as he has family that he returns to visit often in Poroporo.
Upon reflection of what Trident was like when Arthur was a student, there are some vast differences highlighted in his experience and that of our current students. Our students would be surprised to learn that Arthur was caned by his teacher for misdemeanors such as ‘answering back’ and he believes that that harsh discipline was also effective. Luckily canings were not common for Arthur as he says he was generally respectful of his teachers and had good relationships with them, performing well in class as well as on the rugby field. This positive rapport must have been the case, as Arthur learnt to drive by using a teachers car - Mr Dickson’s, who lived near the school and passed his car keys to Arthur to practice driving.
While at school, Arthur was a mad keen rugby player as well as champion in athletic events and a keen softball player. In third form Arthur played for the 2nd XV and he proved a leader on the sportsfield. They regularly competed against Whakatane High School in which the competition was fierce and the young team of only third and fourth formers managed to hold their own against a senior WHS team, proving to be worthy competition for a much older team. Sport, specifically rugby, dominated Arthur’s week out of school and Arthur attributes sport helping him grow as a person. His dedication to sport was top notch- on Saturday’s if he couldn’t find a ride to get to school for his game he would have to swim across the river from Rewatu Road (in winter!) with his rugby gear trailing in a plastic bag behind him. It was dedication like that that meant his skills quickly improved and he proved to be a firm favourite for team selectors. He also knew that goal setting was important and made decisions based around his goals such as riding his bike instead of driving to increase his fitness and he watched what he ate.
In gaining a spot in the All Blacks Arthur says it was essential for him to make goals for himself and realise those goals. He knew that he had to do the mahi to get the rewards, that no-one was going to get fit or upskill for him. One drill he repeatedly went through was working to place a rugby ball exactly where he wanted it to get - he would aim for a flag on a flagpole and throw to hit that target again and again. This determination and increased skill meant doors opened for Arthur and he made choices to walk through them, choices that eventually led Arthur to a spot on the coveted national team.
Ensuring there is a plan for after a professional sports career is crucial. While Arthur was in his last year at Trident he applied and was accepted into a Maori Trade course in Hamilton to be a builder/ carpenter. His apprenticeship took him 6 years instead of 4 due to being away often with rugby commitments as he was still an apprentice when he was selected for the All Blacks, but he stuck at it. This apprenticeship and the skills gained meant that upon leaving the All Blacks he was able to turn his hand to start his own building business in Dunedin.
Asked for words of advice for our students, Arthur says that “there will be hiccups in life, but these hiccups do not determine your future, it is important to get up, reflect, adapt and carry on to be stronger”.
Former All Black (1981-1985)
Arthur is one of Trident High School’s first students who started in the third form when Trident opened its doors in 1973. In 1973 Trident was only open to third and fourth form and each year it opened up a new level meaning Arthur completed his five years of high school at Trident. The ex- All Black played for our national team in 23 matches including nine international games. Since retiring from rugby Arthur has run his building company in Dunedin. While he has lived in Dunedin for some time, he has strong ties to Whakatane as he has family that he returns to visit often in Poroporo.
Upon reflection of what Trident was like when Arthur was a student, there are some vast differences highlighted in his experience and that of our current students. Our students would be surprised to learn that Arthur was caned by his teacher for misdemeanors such as ‘answering back’ and he believes that that harsh discipline was also effective. Luckily canings were not common for Arthur as he says he was generally respectful of his teachers and had good relationships with them, performing well in class as well as on the rugby field. This positive rapport must have been the case, as Arthur learnt to drive by using a teachers car - Mr Dickson’s, who lived near the school and passed his car keys to Arthur to practice driving.
While at school, Arthur was a mad keen rugby player as well as champion in athletic events and a keen softball player. In third form Arthur played for the 2nd XV and he proved a leader on the sportsfield. They regularly competed against Whakatane High School in which the competition was fierce and the young team of only third and fourth formers managed to hold their own against a senior WHS team, proving to be worthy competition for a much older team. Sport, specifically rugby, dominated Arthur’s week out of school and Arthur attributes sport helping him grow as a person. His dedication to sport was top notch- on Saturday’s if he couldn’t find a ride to get to school for his game he would have to swim across the river from Rewatu Road (in winter!) with his rugby gear trailing in a plastic bag behind him. It was dedication like that that meant his skills quickly improved and he proved to be a firm favourite for team selectors. He also knew that goal setting was important and made decisions based around his goals such as riding his bike instead of driving to increase his fitness and he watched what he ate.
In gaining a spot in the All Blacks Arthur says it was essential for him to make goals for himself and realise those goals. He knew that he had to do the mahi to get the rewards, that no-one was going to get fit or upskill for him. One drill he repeatedly went through was working to place a rugby ball exactly where he wanted it to get - he would aim for a flag on a flagpole and throw to hit that target again and again. This determination and increased skill meant doors opened for Arthur and he made choices to walk through them, choices that eventually led Arthur to a spot on the coveted national team.
Ensuring there is a plan for after a professional sports career is crucial. While Arthur was in his last year at Trident he applied and was accepted into a Maori Trade course in Hamilton to be a builder/ carpenter. His apprenticeship took him 6 years instead of 4 due to being away often with rugby commitments as he was still an apprentice when he was selected for the All Blacks, but he stuck at it. This apprenticeship and the skills gained meant that upon leaving the All Blacks he was able to turn his hand to start his own building business in Dunedin.
Asked for words of advice for our students, Arthur says that “there will be hiccups in life, but these hiccups do not determine your future, it is important to get up, reflect, adapt and carry on to be stronger”.
Megan Ranapia
Class of 2008
Megan Ranapia has a career that reads as a dream career for many people, having the chance to dive around the beautiful New Zealand coastline and beyond. A dream career like this didn’t simply fall into place, Megan worked hard to set herself up to work towards her dream from an early age, before beginning a 3 year degree in Environmental studies, majoring in Marine Science at BOP Polytechnic and AUT University when she left Trident High School. The desire to learn about and protect our underwater world began with family diving holidays and Megan credits her father for introducing her to the idea that she could pursue a career in that field. “I’m forever learning about the marine world, I feel like the more you study something, the more you realise that there’s so much you don’t know, which makes me want to keep pursuing new ideas and concepts” Megan says.
Megan had a great experience at Trident High School, where she played a lot of sports, namely volleyball, but she also tried out rowing, rugby, soccer and touch which Trident provided opportunities for. Participating in these extramural activities helped Megan build self confidence (and kept her out of trouble). Trident also provided Megan the academic foundation that she needed to pursue her tertiary studies, she says she “wasn’t the smartest student or had the best grades, but what I do recall is my grades improving throughout the years, and gaining confidence in my ability to study marine science”. Megan experienced great peers and teachers who she credits to this academic foundation. “I remember my art teacher Miss Scott, who gave me free reign to express my creative side, which is a nice release from doing more serious subjects. I’ll always remember how Mrs Scott-Jones improved my English 10-fold, I couldn’t stand English before I joined her class, probably because I was never good at spelling or grammar, but she knew how to push me (although I do still use spell check), and of course Ms Botha, she is so passionate about biology it resonated in her teaching which rubbed off on us students”.
Since graduating, Megan has had two jobs, first as an Aquarist at Kelly Tarltons Sea Life Aquarium, where she did a lot of aquarium design and set-ups, husbandry work and educating public. The highlight for that job was interacting with the animals and developing the first commercial jellyfish breeding programme. Then an opportunity arose to go back to BOP Polytechnic to work with her tutors (now peers), as a Dive Technician and Tutorial Assistant for the Marine studies course. There are many highlights with the job - but the field trips are a stand out. The course is ‘very hands on’ which makes it different to all the other Marine Science courses delivered by more traditional Universities. Megan supervises a 10 day field trip to remote islands off New Zealand, where students carry out underwater surveys, and she also takes second year students to Papua New Guinea as part of their Coral reef ecology paper, as well as a few smaller field trips to local regions. Megan says “the beauty of these field trips is getting to explore other parts of your country and the world, and that they allow you to interact with students in a non-classroom environment, which makes it a better learning and tutoring experience”.
The course that allows Megan such wonderful opportunities as a technician and tutor gives students the opportunity to shine, who may not be able to do so in a classroom environment as easily. Students are assessed on not only how they perform academically, but also their work ethic, how they perform in a team environment, and how they handle sometimes strenuous activities. “For me personally, being a female and Māori, I’d like to see more of us pursuing a career in science, there is an ever growing demand and greater collaboration with Western science and Maori knowledge to restore or better manage important marine environments and resources.
I think a big misconception about doing a diploma or degree in Marine science is that there is no work at the end of it, that’s not to say that everyone comes out straight away with a job, but there is plenty of opportunity out there and it is only getting bigger. Our marine environment is one of New Zealand’s most precious resources, and with increasing biosecurity threats, pressure on our fisheries, interests in aquaculture, coastal development, a booming tourism industry, and greater investment in scientific research, more and more of our graduates are getting careers in the Marine field. Everyone knows everyone in the marine industry, so just treat your degree like one long job interview, because essentially, your tutors will be the ones writing a reference for you. Oh and never stop learning! If you are willing to show that you are keen and put in hard work, people will notice.
Having become more aware of the degradation our marine environment has faced and is still facing, I would like to pursue a career in ecological restoration. So I decided to do a MSc in Biological Sciences where my Masters thesis topic is looking at ‘Improving restoration success for the translocation of Mussels in Ohiwa Harbour”.
We wish Megan all the best in her studies and look forward to an ongoing relationship with her as our students learn more about the fascinating and diverse area of Marine Sciences.
Megan Ranapia has a career that reads as a dream career for many people, having the chance to dive around the beautiful New Zealand coastline and beyond. A dream career like this didn’t simply fall into place, Megan worked hard to set herself up to work towards her dream from an early age, before beginning a 3 year degree in Environmental studies, majoring in Marine Science at BOP Polytechnic and AUT University when she left Trident High School. The desire to learn about and protect our underwater world began with family diving holidays and Megan credits her father for introducing her to the idea that she could pursue a career in that field. “I’m forever learning about the marine world, I feel like the more you study something, the more you realise that there’s so much you don’t know, which makes me want to keep pursuing new ideas and concepts” Megan says.
Megan had a great experience at Trident High School, where she played a lot of sports, namely volleyball, but she also tried out rowing, rugby, soccer and touch which Trident provided opportunities for. Participating in these extramural activities helped Megan build self confidence (and kept her out of trouble). Trident also provided Megan the academic foundation that she needed to pursue her tertiary studies, she says she “wasn’t the smartest student or had the best grades, but what I do recall is my grades improving throughout the years, and gaining confidence in my ability to study marine science”. Megan experienced great peers and teachers who she credits to this academic foundation. “I remember my art teacher Miss Scott, who gave me free reign to express my creative side, which is a nice release from doing more serious subjects. I’ll always remember how Mrs Scott-Jones improved my English 10-fold, I couldn’t stand English before I joined her class, probably because I was never good at spelling or grammar, but she knew how to push me (although I do still use spell check), and of course Ms Botha, she is so passionate about biology it resonated in her teaching which rubbed off on us students”.
Since graduating, Megan has had two jobs, first as an Aquarist at Kelly Tarltons Sea Life Aquarium, where she did a lot of aquarium design and set-ups, husbandry work and educating public. The highlight for that job was interacting with the animals and developing the first commercial jellyfish breeding programme. Then an opportunity arose to go back to BOP Polytechnic to work with her tutors (now peers), as a Dive Technician and Tutorial Assistant for the Marine studies course. There are many highlights with the job - but the field trips are a stand out. The course is ‘very hands on’ which makes it different to all the other Marine Science courses delivered by more traditional Universities. Megan supervises a 10 day field trip to remote islands off New Zealand, where students carry out underwater surveys, and she also takes second year students to Papua New Guinea as part of their Coral reef ecology paper, as well as a few smaller field trips to local regions. Megan says “the beauty of these field trips is getting to explore other parts of your country and the world, and that they allow you to interact with students in a non-classroom environment, which makes it a better learning and tutoring experience”.
The course that allows Megan such wonderful opportunities as a technician and tutor gives students the opportunity to shine, who may not be able to do so in a classroom environment as easily. Students are assessed on not only how they perform academically, but also their work ethic, how they perform in a team environment, and how they handle sometimes strenuous activities. “For me personally, being a female and Māori, I’d like to see more of us pursuing a career in science, there is an ever growing demand and greater collaboration with Western science and Maori knowledge to restore or better manage important marine environments and resources.
I think a big misconception about doing a diploma or degree in Marine science is that there is no work at the end of it, that’s not to say that everyone comes out straight away with a job, but there is plenty of opportunity out there and it is only getting bigger. Our marine environment is one of New Zealand’s most precious resources, and with increasing biosecurity threats, pressure on our fisheries, interests in aquaculture, coastal development, a booming tourism industry, and greater investment in scientific research, more and more of our graduates are getting careers in the Marine field. Everyone knows everyone in the marine industry, so just treat your degree like one long job interview, because essentially, your tutors will be the ones writing a reference for you. Oh and never stop learning! If you are willing to show that you are keen and put in hard work, people will notice.
Having become more aware of the degradation our marine environment has faced and is still facing, I would like to pursue a career in ecological restoration. So I decided to do a MSc in Biological Sciences where my Masters thesis topic is looking at ‘Improving restoration success for the translocation of Mussels in Ohiwa Harbour”.
We wish Megan all the best in her studies and look forward to an ongoing relationship with her as our students learn more about the fascinating and diverse area of Marine Sciences.
Emma Weber
Class of 2015
Emma Weber is one of our younger alumni who is surging ahead in a career we wouldn’t have dreamt of a decade ago. Emma creates memes for a living as a content creator, running multiple brand's social media accounts - UP&GOWeet-Bix NZ, Marmite, So Good NZ and Sanitarium Weet-Bix TRYathlon.
Career direction for Emma was found during her time at Whakatane Intermediate. During Year 7 an activity where she could pick a job off a website, work out how much the salary would be and budget living costs was the catalyst for the career she enjoys today. She picked Marketing Manager and since then was always seeking to tailor her learning towards a creative/marketing role. Emma says being at Trident had a great hand in helping her get where she is today in the marketing/media/digital field as not all schools offer subjects like Media Studies and Digital Design which she says really gave her a kick start early on. After completing Year 13 at Trident, Emma attended AUT where she completed a Communications Degree majoring in Digital Media and Minoring in Advertising. Just before graduating Emma applied to become the summer intern at UP&GO and was awarded the coveted position. The internship involved running the UP&GO social media accounts creating content (videos, memes, illustrations) and after the summer was over the company asked her to stay on a bit longer and create content for some of their other brands like ‘So Good dairy free milks’ and ‘Marmite’. Because she had proven herself to the company during the internship she was then able to gain a position which usually requires 3+ years experience when the boss at the time took leave.
At school Emma was equally good at all subjects and found success in all that she did. She describes her teachers as always being so passionate about their students and acknowledges some of them. “Mr Lewis, my Maths teacher in my early years someone I'd like to acknowledge as I've got such fond memories of that class, as well as Ms Bowe my English teacher whom I admired for the talent and skill she has for her subject. Mr Geenty my PE teacher was great with my class even if we all weren't the most athletic he had great jokes too. Mrs Thompson my main design teacher was awesome and pushed me to get the design scholarship which I'm still so proud of today, I was also that student in year 13 who just hung out in the design room at lunchtime instead of getting sunshine, so thanks for letting me use that room!”
Emma says in order to get experience to follow a career path like hers it is quite easy to showcase your experience even without finding a relevant part time job in Whakatane. She advises to use spare time to play around with website building, creating logos and branding for a relatives business or sports teams. “You could set up business social media accounts - even if it is just for fun, teach yourself Photoshop or video editing at home from YouTube. School/University can only show you so much, it’s self-motivated at home skill building which will be the reason you stand out. I'm currently in the position on hiring our next UP&GO summer intern, and looking through applications, it is the people that can show (not just say) what they can do that stand out the most.” Besides skills to showcase, Emma says personality is everything! Of course it's important to be skilled and have a good enough CV to get an interview but in the end I've always found people will get hired based on their personality fit to a company and their authenticity Emma says.
Not only has Emma fast tracked her Marketing career but she has also excelled as a Dancer in a Kpop Dance Group (Korean Pop Music holds an extensive global following) - MDC. She listened to Korean Pop music in high school and the dance classes she found in Auckland offered hiphop and Kpop dance classes which she went to. During those classes she made a few friends and there was an opportunity to perform at Auckland University Emma and her friends formed the crew that is now MDC. A couple of months back her group competed in the Wellington national K-pop cover competition and placed first. This was a preliminary round for the world competition held in South Korea but the team had never dreamed of this as only 13 teams get picked from around the world from thousands of entries. Emma’s team was selected and they have recently returned from performing in South Korea “a magical experience meeting so many people from all over the world. Our team didn't place but just going on the 2 weeks all expenses paid for trip was worth so much in itself.”
Emma Weber is one of our younger alumni who is surging ahead in a career we wouldn’t have dreamt of a decade ago. Emma creates memes for a living as a content creator, running multiple brand's social media accounts - UP&GOWeet-Bix NZ, Marmite, So Good NZ and Sanitarium Weet-Bix TRYathlon.
Career direction for Emma was found during her time at Whakatane Intermediate. During Year 7 an activity where she could pick a job off a website, work out how much the salary would be and budget living costs was the catalyst for the career she enjoys today. She picked Marketing Manager and since then was always seeking to tailor her learning towards a creative/marketing role. Emma says being at Trident had a great hand in helping her get where she is today in the marketing/media/digital field as not all schools offer subjects like Media Studies and Digital Design which she says really gave her a kick start early on. After completing Year 13 at Trident, Emma attended AUT where she completed a Communications Degree majoring in Digital Media and Minoring in Advertising. Just before graduating Emma applied to become the summer intern at UP&GO and was awarded the coveted position. The internship involved running the UP&GO social media accounts creating content (videos, memes, illustrations) and after the summer was over the company asked her to stay on a bit longer and create content for some of their other brands like ‘So Good dairy free milks’ and ‘Marmite’. Because she had proven herself to the company during the internship she was then able to gain a position which usually requires 3+ years experience when the boss at the time took leave.
At school Emma was equally good at all subjects and found success in all that she did. She describes her teachers as always being so passionate about their students and acknowledges some of them. “Mr Lewis, my Maths teacher in my early years someone I'd like to acknowledge as I've got such fond memories of that class, as well as Ms Bowe my English teacher whom I admired for the talent and skill she has for her subject. Mr Geenty my PE teacher was great with my class even if we all weren't the most athletic he had great jokes too. Mrs Thompson my main design teacher was awesome and pushed me to get the design scholarship which I'm still so proud of today, I was also that student in year 13 who just hung out in the design room at lunchtime instead of getting sunshine, so thanks for letting me use that room!”
Emma says in order to get experience to follow a career path like hers it is quite easy to showcase your experience even without finding a relevant part time job in Whakatane. She advises to use spare time to play around with website building, creating logos and branding for a relatives business or sports teams. “You could set up business social media accounts - even if it is just for fun, teach yourself Photoshop or video editing at home from YouTube. School/University can only show you so much, it’s self-motivated at home skill building which will be the reason you stand out. I'm currently in the position on hiring our next UP&GO summer intern, and looking through applications, it is the people that can show (not just say) what they can do that stand out the most.” Besides skills to showcase, Emma says personality is everything! Of course it's important to be skilled and have a good enough CV to get an interview but in the end I've always found people will get hired based on their personality fit to a company and their authenticity Emma says.
Not only has Emma fast tracked her Marketing career but she has also excelled as a Dancer in a Kpop Dance Group (Korean Pop Music holds an extensive global following) - MDC. She listened to Korean Pop music in high school and the dance classes she found in Auckland offered hiphop and Kpop dance classes which she went to. During those classes she made a few friends and there was an opportunity to perform at Auckland University Emma and her friends formed the crew that is now MDC. A couple of months back her group competed in the Wellington national K-pop cover competition and placed first. This was a preliminary round for the world competition held in South Korea but the team had never dreamed of this as only 13 teams get picked from around the world from thousands of entries. Emma’s team was selected and they have recently returned from performing in South Korea “a magical experience meeting so many people from all over the world. Our team didn't place but just going on the 2 weeks all expenses paid for trip was worth so much in itself.”
Dr. Andrew Hill
Class of 1978
Dr Andrew Hill was Trident High School’s second student to be awarded Dux after opening the year before Hill started in the third from. Dr Hill now works in his chosen profession as a surgeon in Auckland after graduating with a MB ChB in 1989. Dr Hill reflects on his time at Trident fondly and indeed it was at school where Science ‘came alive’ for him in Mr Chris Day’s Science class. It is not only Mr Day that he commends for the strong academic focus, “academically in the early years when I was there, there were a lot of new teachers and it turned out many of them did very well. There was no "dead wood" it seemed and all were interested in the students. Of note Cliff Edmeades who went on to be Principal of Rutherford High. His love was English and made us work hard at Comprehension and the intricacies of prose. Chris Day who started as a teacher on section at Trident and went on to be Principal at Whakatane HS. He made Science come alive. He also started after school classes in Ruatoki. Also of note was John Dixon who fostered an interest in Maths”.
The strong academic focus saw 2/7 of the 7th Form go into Medicine and 4 A Bursaries from the cohort. Dr Hill says Medicine is tougher to be accepted into these days but offers a variety of Specialities for vocational from the more procedural in Surgery to the academic in Internal medicine. Dr Hill has been involved in Surgery, the excitement of Clinical Research, Teaching and Administration. He was lucky to be made an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit ONZM last New Year.
Dr Hill reflects on his time at Trident fondly and says it formed a good base for academic avenues not just in Medicine. “It was also a good family and we all grew top together. I was in the second intake in 1974 so there were just 4th formers above us, which perhaps made it a little less daunting as there was not an age gap. It also showed that a small school, as it was then, could compete academically. I was a hockey player but occasionally roped in to play rugby too. We played Kawerau one day and won 105 nil. I was centre and never touched the ball. Arthur Stone scored 4-5 tries from second five!” Like many students Dr Hill’s favourite memories are of the lunchtime sports such as “massive games of force back hockey on the area next to the tennis courts” and the daily bus commute for many students from Taneatua to get to school.
The success that Dr Hill now has is shared with Trident’s Dux each year as he awards a financial prize to students who gain the prestigious Dux award, of which our school and students are grateful benefactors of. We wish Dr Hill all the best and thank him for his ongoing support.
Dr Andrew Hill was Trident High School’s second student to be awarded Dux after opening the year before Hill started in the third from. Dr Hill now works in his chosen profession as a surgeon in Auckland after graduating with a MB ChB in 1989. Dr Hill reflects on his time at Trident fondly and indeed it was at school where Science ‘came alive’ for him in Mr Chris Day’s Science class. It is not only Mr Day that he commends for the strong academic focus, “academically in the early years when I was there, there were a lot of new teachers and it turned out many of them did very well. There was no "dead wood" it seemed and all were interested in the students. Of note Cliff Edmeades who went on to be Principal of Rutherford High. His love was English and made us work hard at Comprehension and the intricacies of prose. Chris Day who started as a teacher on section at Trident and went on to be Principal at Whakatane HS. He made Science come alive. He also started after school classes in Ruatoki. Also of note was John Dixon who fostered an interest in Maths”.
The strong academic focus saw 2/7 of the 7th Form go into Medicine and 4 A Bursaries from the cohort. Dr Hill says Medicine is tougher to be accepted into these days but offers a variety of Specialities for vocational from the more procedural in Surgery to the academic in Internal medicine. Dr Hill has been involved in Surgery, the excitement of Clinical Research, Teaching and Administration. He was lucky to be made an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit ONZM last New Year.
Dr Hill reflects on his time at Trident fondly and says it formed a good base for academic avenues not just in Medicine. “It was also a good family and we all grew top together. I was in the second intake in 1974 so there were just 4th formers above us, which perhaps made it a little less daunting as there was not an age gap. It also showed that a small school, as it was then, could compete academically. I was a hockey player but occasionally roped in to play rugby too. We played Kawerau one day and won 105 nil. I was centre and never touched the ball. Arthur Stone scored 4-5 tries from second five!” Like many students Dr Hill’s favourite memories are of the lunchtime sports such as “massive games of force back hockey on the area next to the tennis courts” and the daily bus commute for many students from Taneatua to get to school.
The success that Dr Hill now has is shared with Trident’s Dux each year as he awards a financial prize to students who gain the prestigious Dux award, of which our school and students are grateful benefactors of. We wish Dr Hill all the best and thank him for his ongoing support.
Toni Brown
Class of 1983
Toni Brown attended Trident High School in the early 1980’s and is now a Director of her law firm, practicing law in Auckland. Her time at Trident was when the school was “only a couple of blocks of buildings and a new gym” and she categories it as the Michael Jackson era, a time when students were intensely proud of their big hair and bright clothes (out of uniform) and practiced their moonwalk when they got a spare moment. While hairstyles and fashion come and go, the moonwalk is still occasionally seen being practiced around our school grounds today!
Most students seem to identify with something particularly special to them during their schooling and Toni has fond memories of various school productions that she was involved in. Perhaps it was this participation in school productions that helped Toni develop the self confidence that one undoubtedly needs in court as a lawyer. Having come from a small primary school, Toni found the transition to High School a big jump and she says she was very quiet to start with. We know taking the opportunity to be involved in school productions would have taken a lot of courage, one of Trident’s core values - Kia Manawa Nui - that she drew upon.
Like many people, Toni did not go immediately from school into her long time career in law. Coming from a home where attending university was not high on the list of discussion topics, Toni went to work as a travel agent and was administering at our local Whakatane Airport after she left school. From there she began working in Len Andersen’s law office as a secretary which is where her law career started. Her employer, Len Andersen, not only encouraged her, but really pushed her to go to university to study law. Having come from a family who had never gone to university we can appreciate that this was a huge step for Toni, and one she says the push to do leaves her eternally grateful for. Right from the start she knew she wanted to practice Family Court Law having been involved in a leading case with Len in the late 1980’s which was ground-breaking law.
Over Toni’s time as a lawyer she has been involved in many cases of interest - one of her career highlights is a very high profile case. She was one of the lawyers (for the Voluntary Euthanasia Society) at the high profile Lecretia Seales right to die case. This high profile case in 2015 was unprecedented in New Zealand and is still being petitioned for today. Another highlight Toni shares with us is taking a Bill of Rights claim to the High Court on behalf of young children in the face of disagreements between their parents as to right to participation in religion. A case she is proud of was working on the right of a child to determine who should have control of his body and funeral arrangements when his own parents were responsible for his demise (there being no law anywhere in the world about this).
With a varied and interesting career in law, Toni says being a lawyer is not a career choice for shrinking wall-flowers. She says our young women who wish to follow her pathway must “develop a confidence in yourself, as there will always be people in this life who think they know more than you do. My experience in the cases I have run, is that there is always more than one pathway to resolution, therefore, it is not simply a matter of right versus wrong. Confidence can only come from preparation (lots of it) and the time to reflect on where you are heading and why. Once you know that, no one can knock you off your perch as you have a secure foundation. Pushing the boundaries is actually the fun part of law.” Toni is a director of her law firm and says her application of leadership revolves around her understanding of leadership meaning ‘inclusion’. She says it is crucial to have staff participate in decision making, providing a platform for “ownership” of business and therefore taking pride and dedication to its ongoing success. Loyalty and trust are also important to a successful business, but if a Director doesn’t trust and support their staff, it will not come back to them.
We thank Toni for sharing her story with us and look forward to a continuing relationship with her.
Toni Brown attended Trident High School in the early 1980’s and is now a Director of her law firm, practicing law in Auckland. Her time at Trident was when the school was “only a couple of blocks of buildings and a new gym” and she categories it as the Michael Jackson era, a time when students were intensely proud of their big hair and bright clothes (out of uniform) and practiced their moonwalk when they got a spare moment. While hairstyles and fashion come and go, the moonwalk is still occasionally seen being practiced around our school grounds today!
Most students seem to identify with something particularly special to them during their schooling and Toni has fond memories of various school productions that she was involved in. Perhaps it was this participation in school productions that helped Toni develop the self confidence that one undoubtedly needs in court as a lawyer. Having come from a small primary school, Toni found the transition to High School a big jump and she says she was very quiet to start with. We know taking the opportunity to be involved in school productions would have taken a lot of courage, one of Trident’s core values - Kia Manawa Nui - that she drew upon.
Like many people, Toni did not go immediately from school into her long time career in law. Coming from a home where attending university was not high on the list of discussion topics, Toni went to work as a travel agent and was administering at our local Whakatane Airport after she left school. From there she began working in Len Andersen’s law office as a secretary which is where her law career started. Her employer, Len Andersen, not only encouraged her, but really pushed her to go to university to study law. Having come from a family who had never gone to university we can appreciate that this was a huge step for Toni, and one she says the push to do leaves her eternally grateful for. Right from the start she knew she wanted to practice Family Court Law having been involved in a leading case with Len in the late 1980’s which was ground-breaking law.
Over Toni’s time as a lawyer she has been involved in many cases of interest - one of her career highlights is a very high profile case. She was one of the lawyers (for the Voluntary Euthanasia Society) at the high profile Lecretia Seales right to die case. This high profile case in 2015 was unprecedented in New Zealand and is still being petitioned for today. Another highlight Toni shares with us is taking a Bill of Rights claim to the High Court on behalf of young children in the face of disagreements between their parents as to right to participation in religion. A case she is proud of was working on the right of a child to determine who should have control of his body and funeral arrangements when his own parents were responsible for his demise (there being no law anywhere in the world about this).
With a varied and interesting career in law, Toni says being a lawyer is not a career choice for shrinking wall-flowers. She says our young women who wish to follow her pathway must “develop a confidence in yourself, as there will always be people in this life who think they know more than you do. My experience in the cases I have run, is that there is always more than one pathway to resolution, therefore, it is not simply a matter of right versus wrong. Confidence can only come from preparation (lots of it) and the time to reflect on where you are heading and why. Once you know that, no one can knock you off your perch as you have a secure foundation. Pushing the boundaries is actually the fun part of law.” Toni is a director of her law firm and says her application of leadership revolves around her understanding of leadership meaning ‘inclusion’. She says it is crucial to have staff participate in decision making, providing a platform for “ownership” of business and therefore taking pride and dedication to its ongoing success. Loyalty and trust are also important to a successful business, but if a Director doesn’t trust and support their staff, it will not come back to them.
We thank Toni for sharing her story with us and look forward to a continuing relationship with her.
Ashley Hawkes
Class of 2001
Ashley Hawkes is a Trident High School graduate (2001) from Matata who went on to study Performing and Screen Arts at Unitec in Auckland. He now works as an actor and director in Sydney.
"My years at Trident were some of the best of my life. I was lucky enough to find not just one or two teachers that would go over and beyond their duty but many. It is a school that really cares about each and every student. I always felt welcomed and encouraged to excel in anything and everything I wanted to have a go at. Their elective program filled my afternoons with surfing, music and theatre and made me genuinely love being at school. I found the transition from a small country environment to a big town school initially terrifying as a third former but the peer support programme in those early days ensured I settled quickly and made friends. The focus on respect for others made a lasting impact on my approach to all my work to this day. Being a prefect and running peer-support exercises in my later years gave me a perfect insight into my own capabilities to help others and to lead by example. In the classroom I was scared of History because I didn't want to remember dates but came to love the stories I found there. Geography trips were awesome and I still love rocks. I always hated Maths but the teacher also ran the surf elective so I learnt to do my taxes. English was perhaps my favourite, I found the texts, plays and films really engaging. I loved the conversations that were sparked in that room. I went from having no musical knowledge at age 14 to passing school cert music and playing trumpet in the school band by age 15. We wrote our own shows in the drama room and took them to local primary schools (something I'd later do professionally). There were lunchtime concerts, skateboarding slams, football tournaments, surf camps, volleyball trips but also really special cultural experiences like welcoming guests with powhiri which gave me a sense of place and mana. Performing in the school production of The Three Musketeers gave me confidence as I grew into a young man and was encouraged to audition for drama school. In my final year I suffered a severe illness and missed a whole term of school. Without the support of the teachers which made sure I had grading allowances and could do some study at home, I may never have got the bursary passes to get into Unitec. I am forever grateful to each and every one of them."
Ashley has performed in numerous stage shows throughout New Zealand, Australia and the US. His achievements include:
Performing at the Sydney Opera House
Touring the world in a stage show he wrote and built
Winning numerous theatre awards
Winning best short film at the Berlin Film Festival
Winning Straight 8, a global short film challenge Shooting a Corona commercial with the world's best surfers
Playing a killer in Australian TV series Bite Club
Shooting music videos for numerous bands
Directing theatre shows in Auckland and Sydney
Shooting commercials all over the world for clients that include: KitKat, Chicken Tonight, Hahn Superdry, Corona, Nissan, Cadbury, LTSA NZ, Subway, Barista Bros, Campbell's Soup, Lynx and Holden.
Ashley Hawkes is a Trident High School graduate (2001) from Matata who went on to study Performing and Screen Arts at Unitec in Auckland. He now works as an actor and director in Sydney.
"My years at Trident were some of the best of my life. I was lucky enough to find not just one or two teachers that would go over and beyond their duty but many. It is a school that really cares about each and every student. I always felt welcomed and encouraged to excel in anything and everything I wanted to have a go at. Their elective program filled my afternoons with surfing, music and theatre and made me genuinely love being at school. I found the transition from a small country environment to a big town school initially terrifying as a third former but the peer support programme in those early days ensured I settled quickly and made friends. The focus on respect for others made a lasting impact on my approach to all my work to this day. Being a prefect and running peer-support exercises in my later years gave me a perfect insight into my own capabilities to help others and to lead by example. In the classroom I was scared of History because I didn't want to remember dates but came to love the stories I found there. Geography trips were awesome and I still love rocks. I always hated Maths but the teacher also ran the surf elective so I learnt to do my taxes. English was perhaps my favourite, I found the texts, plays and films really engaging. I loved the conversations that were sparked in that room. I went from having no musical knowledge at age 14 to passing school cert music and playing trumpet in the school band by age 15. We wrote our own shows in the drama room and took them to local primary schools (something I'd later do professionally). There were lunchtime concerts, skateboarding slams, football tournaments, surf camps, volleyball trips but also really special cultural experiences like welcoming guests with powhiri which gave me a sense of place and mana. Performing in the school production of The Three Musketeers gave me confidence as I grew into a young man and was encouraged to audition for drama school. In my final year I suffered a severe illness and missed a whole term of school. Without the support of the teachers which made sure I had grading allowances and could do some study at home, I may never have got the bursary passes to get into Unitec. I am forever grateful to each and every one of them."
Ashley has performed in numerous stage shows throughout New Zealand, Australia and the US. His achievements include:
Performing at the Sydney Opera House
Touring the world in a stage show he wrote and built
Winning numerous theatre awards
Winning best short film at the Berlin Film Festival
Winning Straight 8, a global short film challenge Shooting a Corona commercial with the world's best surfers
Playing a killer in Australian TV series Bite Club
Shooting music videos for numerous bands
Directing theatre shows in Auckland and Sydney
Shooting commercials all over the world for clients that include: KitKat, Chicken Tonight, Hahn Superdry, Corona, Nissan, Cadbury, LTSA NZ, Subway, Barista Bros, Campbell's Soup, Lynx and Holden.
Michael Hohapata
Class of 1976
Michael James Te Hurunui Hohapata begun at Trident in the first intake of students in 1973 after completing his schooling at Allandale and Whakatane Intermediate. “In my last year at Whakatane Intermediate all the talk was around this brand new High School that we were going to go to called Trident High School. It really looked state of the art for a school in Whakatane. The first day came around in 1973 when we created history and we were about to shape the history of the High School by being the foundation pupils. What we as a group were about to achieve was something that really never entered our little minds way back then but as the years went by, we knew we had created something really special and the bond we had as a school was unbreakable. It was very exciting for us all, the school smelt new, we had these brand new uniforms and teachers and we were about to commence a great adventure into the future”. While our school has changed and grown over the years, the bond that our students, teachers and Trident community has remains.
Like many students, Michael remembers one teacher as being particularly influential in his education - Mr Brunetti - the school rugby coach. He is remembered as being “very loud and spoke in riddles of which we had no idea what he was talking about”. Mr Brunetti focussed his coaching on the team making the decisions and Michael says he gave them confidence to be creative in their play. Michael captained the team during the first year along with Guy Rawson. The team also had some great players like the Thrupp cousins and another great player who went on to become a great All Black - Arthur Stone. Mr Brunetti inspired Michael and the team to believe they could be the best if they put their minds to it. He was very inspirational to all boys in his team.
Michaels pathway into a successful Navy career began with a fortuitous moment - during class he noticed a group of military recruiters and went to investigate further. After initially not being overly interested, the principal Mr Heney strongly encouraged him to apply. After applying for the Navy where he would be able to see the world, the application had slipped his mind for a few months until he was requested in Mr Heney’s office where he was given a letter of acceptance to the Royal New Zealand Navy. Blown away by this surprise, he eventually worked out how to break it to his parents and at the start of 1976 he joined the Navy as a 17 year old Junior Seaman. After completing 3 months initial training learning the life and history of the Royal New Zealand Navy he knew he had found himself in a whole different world. “It was just like you saw in a movie where the drill sergeant stands about a centimetre away from you yelling his lungs out. You were taught how to wash, iron and fold your uniforms the Navy way. Every week you had a kit muster inspection and if it wasn’t up to the required standard out the window it went...it was funny watching your bunk mates clothes going out the window. Luckily enough I never had to endure that, I took to the life of a sailor like a duck does to water. I was in my element.” In the Navy recruits are given a serial number, which is your service number for life. You never ever forget what that number is. Some guys have it tattooed on their bodies...I didn’t need to. My number was Q21917.
Moving through the ranks, Michael was promoted to an Ordinary seaman before qualifing in his specialist field as a Radar Plotter (identifying unknown aircraft and ships within your danger zones and whether they were threats or friendly). During his time in the Navy Michael was further promoted to Able Seaman (ABSea) and Leading Seaman (LSea) and worked to fulfill his desire to travel - having been to Australia on many occasions, Fiji, Singapore, Hong Kong, Hawaii, USA, China, Noumea, Korea, Stewart Island, all the South Pacific Islands, Tonga, Rarotonga, Samoa, Pago Pago, Aitu, Aitutaki, United Kingdom.
Michael managed to bring passion of sports into the Navy where he excelled, so much that he was asked to try out to become a Physical Training Instructor (PE Teacher). To become a PE instructor in the RNZN was deemed to be the pinnacle of a career, so it was a great honour! His dreams came true when he was accepted into the Physical Training Instructor (PTI) course in 1982 and completed the 9 month course in Christchurch before he was promoted to Leading Physical Training Instructor. He was over the moon as all his hard work and perseverance paid off. “If you want something so bad, and you put your mind, heart and soul into it and believe in yourself - YOU can Do it!!! I did, and I was from this little town in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, the place I love dearly.” He went on to become the Head of the Physical Fitness Department in the Royal NZ Navy as a Warrant Officer Physical Training Instructor (the highest non-commissioned Officer rank in the RNZN), an achievement he is very proud of.
Michael represented NZ Combined Services in Rugby and Touch and went on to represent New Zealand in Touch, played many sports including Softball, Squash, Triathlons and
completed an Iron Man and Marathon all while still in the Navy. He coached the RNZN in Rugby, Touch, Softball and was selected as the National Coach for rugby in Thailand and against the British Lions in Perth. He also was the President of the Multi Sports clubs. After all this in 1994, Michael was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) from the Queen in the
New Year’s Honours List for Services to the Community. “That was probably the highlight
of my life, going down to Wellington with my family to receive my medal with them there”.
Michael offers our students who wish to pursue a career in the military advice to take every opportunity that comes their way - get out of your comfort zone and just do it as you don’t know how much you will love it until you try it out. Michael said he was exactly that person: not wanting to sign the papers to join the RNZN but over time I weighed up the pro’s and con’s and guess what the pro’s won out! I said to myself:
Do I want to get out of here? Yes
Do I want to travel around the world for free? Yes
Can I handle being away from my parents and family? Yes
What have I got to lose? Nothing!
The military is not for everyone, you won’t know that until you give it a red hot crack! And
then if you still don’t like it you can leave. You are free to discharge at any stage and it is
not a blight on your shoulders.. It just didn’t work out for you. At least you tried.
For our students who are preparing for a military career Michael says it is important to take your education seriously at school as for him there were a lot of times opportunities came to him while he served in the RNZN but unfortunately he was turned down many times by the boards as not taking his education at school seriously really let him down. “I was disappointed, as I could have been promoted up the chain a lot quicker. I did have to try harder than the others because I did not put a lot of emphasis into my class work at school. Looking back at it now if I had my chance again I would certainly put 100 percent effort into my schooling. Promotions are one thing but the military is not for everyone and relying solely on this is dangerous. Prepare for anything in life as there are many corners, twists and turns. My motto in life is: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail”
Michael James Te Hurunui Hohapata BEM Q21979
Michael James Te Hurunui Hohapata begun at Trident in the first intake of students in 1973 after completing his schooling at Allandale and Whakatane Intermediate. “In my last year at Whakatane Intermediate all the talk was around this brand new High School that we were going to go to called Trident High School. It really looked state of the art for a school in Whakatane. The first day came around in 1973 when we created history and we were about to shape the history of the High School by being the foundation pupils. What we as a group were about to achieve was something that really never entered our little minds way back then but as the years went by, we knew we had created something really special and the bond we had as a school was unbreakable. It was very exciting for us all, the school smelt new, we had these brand new uniforms and teachers and we were about to commence a great adventure into the future”. While our school has changed and grown over the years, the bond that our students, teachers and Trident community has remains.
Like many students, Michael remembers one teacher as being particularly influential in his education - Mr Brunetti - the school rugby coach. He is remembered as being “very loud and spoke in riddles of which we had no idea what he was talking about”. Mr Brunetti focussed his coaching on the team making the decisions and Michael says he gave them confidence to be creative in their play. Michael captained the team during the first year along with Guy Rawson. The team also had some great players like the Thrupp cousins and another great player who went on to become a great All Black - Arthur Stone. Mr Brunetti inspired Michael and the team to believe they could be the best if they put their minds to it. He was very inspirational to all boys in his team.
Michaels pathway into a successful Navy career began with a fortuitous moment - during class he noticed a group of military recruiters and went to investigate further. After initially not being overly interested, the principal Mr Heney strongly encouraged him to apply. After applying for the Navy where he would be able to see the world, the application had slipped his mind for a few months until he was requested in Mr Heney’s office where he was given a letter of acceptance to the Royal New Zealand Navy. Blown away by this surprise, he eventually worked out how to break it to his parents and at the start of 1976 he joined the Navy as a 17 year old Junior Seaman. After completing 3 months initial training learning the life and history of the Royal New Zealand Navy he knew he had found himself in a whole different world. “It was just like you saw in a movie where the drill sergeant stands about a centimetre away from you yelling his lungs out. You were taught how to wash, iron and fold your uniforms the Navy way. Every week you had a kit muster inspection and if it wasn’t up to the required standard out the window it went...it was funny watching your bunk mates clothes going out the window. Luckily enough I never had to endure that, I took to the life of a sailor like a duck does to water. I was in my element.” In the Navy recruits are given a serial number, which is your service number for life. You never ever forget what that number is. Some guys have it tattooed on their bodies...I didn’t need to. My number was Q21917.
Moving through the ranks, Michael was promoted to an Ordinary seaman before qualifing in his specialist field as a Radar Plotter (identifying unknown aircraft and ships within your danger zones and whether they were threats or friendly). During his time in the Navy Michael was further promoted to Able Seaman (ABSea) and Leading Seaman (LSea) and worked to fulfill his desire to travel - having been to Australia on many occasions, Fiji, Singapore, Hong Kong, Hawaii, USA, China, Noumea, Korea, Stewart Island, all the South Pacific Islands, Tonga, Rarotonga, Samoa, Pago Pago, Aitu, Aitutaki, United Kingdom.
Michael managed to bring passion of sports into the Navy where he excelled, so much that he was asked to try out to become a Physical Training Instructor (PE Teacher). To become a PE instructor in the RNZN was deemed to be the pinnacle of a career, so it was a great honour! His dreams came true when he was accepted into the Physical Training Instructor (PTI) course in 1982 and completed the 9 month course in Christchurch before he was promoted to Leading Physical Training Instructor. He was over the moon as all his hard work and perseverance paid off. “If you want something so bad, and you put your mind, heart and soul into it and believe in yourself - YOU can Do it!!! I did, and I was from this little town in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, the place I love dearly.” He went on to become the Head of the Physical Fitness Department in the Royal NZ Navy as a Warrant Officer Physical Training Instructor (the highest non-commissioned Officer rank in the RNZN), an achievement he is very proud of.
Michael represented NZ Combined Services in Rugby and Touch and went on to represent New Zealand in Touch, played many sports including Softball, Squash, Triathlons and
completed an Iron Man and Marathon all while still in the Navy. He coached the RNZN in Rugby, Touch, Softball and was selected as the National Coach for rugby in Thailand and against the British Lions in Perth. He also was the President of the Multi Sports clubs. After all this in 1994, Michael was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) from the Queen in the
New Year’s Honours List for Services to the Community. “That was probably the highlight
of my life, going down to Wellington with my family to receive my medal with them there”.
Michael offers our students who wish to pursue a career in the military advice to take every opportunity that comes their way - get out of your comfort zone and just do it as you don’t know how much you will love it until you try it out. Michael said he was exactly that person: not wanting to sign the papers to join the RNZN but over time I weighed up the pro’s and con’s and guess what the pro’s won out! I said to myself:
Do I want to get out of here? Yes
Do I want to travel around the world for free? Yes
Can I handle being away from my parents and family? Yes
What have I got to lose? Nothing!
The military is not for everyone, you won’t know that until you give it a red hot crack! And
then if you still don’t like it you can leave. You are free to discharge at any stage and it is
not a blight on your shoulders.. It just didn’t work out for you. At least you tried.
For our students who are preparing for a military career Michael says it is important to take your education seriously at school as for him there were a lot of times opportunities came to him while he served in the RNZN but unfortunately he was turned down many times by the boards as not taking his education at school seriously really let him down. “I was disappointed, as I could have been promoted up the chain a lot quicker. I did have to try harder than the others because I did not put a lot of emphasis into my class work at school. Looking back at it now if I had my chance again I would certainly put 100 percent effort into my schooling. Promotions are one thing but the military is not for everyone and relying solely on this is dangerous. Prepare for anything in life as there are many corners, twists and turns. My motto in life is: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail”
Michael James Te Hurunui Hohapata BEM Q21979
Dr. Manuela Hospenthal
Class of 2004
Manuela attended Trident High School from 2000-2004. Manuela describes her time at Trident as a happy time and she looks back on it with pride.
"I started school not knowing anyone else and I think I was also a relatively shy person at first. But the community spirit of Trident is immense and it didn’t take me long to make friends and feel at home there. The friends I made at Trident are still some of my closest friends today and although I don’t live in Whakatane, or even New Zealand anymore, I am in regular contact with them and we catch up whenever I’m back home.
The values we were taught at Trident - Quality Work, Respect for Others and making the most of every opportunity - stayed with me and continue to influence the choices I make today. It was in this supportive environment that I was able to thrive, whether it was in sport or academically.
I have so many great memories of playing volleyball, netball and at some point even rugby (which for my size was pretty brave). I think the lessons that team sport can teach us should never be underestimated, as they influence and form people both on and off the court or field. Mr Graham Walker, my PE teacher and volleyball coach for 5 years, played a huge role in that and a definite highlight for me was being able to participate in the world tour group of 2002. We had such a fantastic trip and learned that hard work can most definitely pay off. Without the dedication of Mr Chris Burn and everyone else involved, this trip would never have been possible
But the academic aspects of my time at Trident probably had the biggest impact on my life today. I discovered my passion for science at Trident and for this I credit all of the very dedicated teachers that I was very fortunate to have. In particular, Ms Katie Elliott, Ms Annetjie Botha, Mr Tony Marrow, Mr Nigel Roberts and Ms Mary Thomas taught me Science at school and they were always very enthusiastic about their subjects. I think it was their passion that rubbed off on me. Overall, I was lucky to have so many wonderful teachers throughout my time at school (not only the sciences) and I often reflect on the impact they had on me during these formative years of my life.
After Trident, I went to the University of Auckland where I completed my BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Sciences and had my first real experience of experimental research science. I never looked back. I continued with my science education and won a scholarship to study for my PhD in Molecular Biology at the MRC-Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) at the University of Cambridge, UK. After a further four exciting years in the lab as a postdoctoral scientist in London, I recently moved to Zurich, Switzerland, to start my own research group at ETH (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) with funding from the SNSF (Swiss National Science Foundation). The main topic of our research is to understand the molecular mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer between bacteria, a process that contributes to the rapid spread of antibiotic resistance, as well as other pathogenicity traits, in bacterial populations. I have two doctoral (PhD) students working with me now and it is a great pleasure, but also responsibility, to pass onto them what I’ve learned in my scientific training over the years.
I now get to do what I love every day! And if it weren’t for my time at Trident, or the teachers who inspired me to reach for big goals, I would not have this opportunity today.
Manuela attended Trident High School from 2000-2004. Manuela describes her time at Trident as a happy time and she looks back on it with pride.
"I started school not knowing anyone else and I think I was also a relatively shy person at first. But the community spirit of Trident is immense and it didn’t take me long to make friends and feel at home there. The friends I made at Trident are still some of my closest friends today and although I don’t live in Whakatane, or even New Zealand anymore, I am in regular contact with them and we catch up whenever I’m back home.
The values we were taught at Trident - Quality Work, Respect for Others and making the most of every opportunity - stayed with me and continue to influence the choices I make today. It was in this supportive environment that I was able to thrive, whether it was in sport or academically.
I have so many great memories of playing volleyball, netball and at some point even rugby (which for my size was pretty brave). I think the lessons that team sport can teach us should never be underestimated, as they influence and form people both on and off the court or field. Mr Graham Walker, my PE teacher and volleyball coach for 5 years, played a huge role in that and a definite highlight for me was being able to participate in the world tour group of 2002. We had such a fantastic trip and learned that hard work can most definitely pay off. Without the dedication of Mr Chris Burn and everyone else involved, this trip would never have been possible
But the academic aspects of my time at Trident probably had the biggest impact on my life today. I discovered my passion for science at Trident and for this I credit all of the very dedicated teachers that I was very fortunate to have. In particular, Ms Katie Elliott, Ms Annetjie Botha, Mr Tony Marrow, Mr Nigel Roberts and Ms Mary Thomas taught me Science at school and they were always very enthusiastic about their subjects. I think it was their passion that rubbed off on me. Overall, I was lucky to have so many wonderful teachers throughout my time at school (not only the sciences) and I often reflect on the impact they had on me during these formative years of my life.
After Trident, I went to the University of Auckland where I completed my BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Sciences and had my first real experience of experimental research science. I never looked back. I continued with my science education and won a scholarship to study for my PhD in Molecular Biology at the MRC-Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) at the University of Cambridge, UK. After a further four exciting years in the lab as a postdoctoral scientist in London, I recently moved to Zurich, Switzerland, to start my own research group at ETH (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) with funding from the SNSF (Swiss National Science Foundation). The main topic of our research is to understand the molecular mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer between bacteria, a process that contributes to the rapid spread of antibiotic resistance, as well as other pathogenicity traits, in bacterial populations. I have two doctoral (PhD) students working with me now and it is a great pleasure, but also responsibility, to pass onto them what I’ve learned in my scientific training over the years.
I now get to do what I love every day! And if it weren’t for my time at Trident, or the teachers who inspired me to reach for big goals, I would not have this opportunity today.
Anna Heath
Class of 2008
Anna Heath is a local chiropractor who begun Eastern Bay Chiropractic here in Whakatane and now has another clinic in Opotiki. Anna left Trident in 2000 and lucky for Whakatane has returned here to practice chiropractic.
During her time at Trident Anna immersed herself into extra curricular sports which she has fond memories of, and especially mentions Mrs Helen Dobbin as her favourite teacher who instilled her passion for the outdoors in Anna. Through Mrs Dobbin’s Outdoor Education classes Anna came to enjoy mountain biking and multisports. As a member of the Trident Moto X team, Anna spent many weekends busy with racing, and also played ‘Goal Keep’ in the senior Football team. While she says she was academically an average student, she took advantage of a range of subjects such as Design, Painting and Science classes.
After leaving school, Anna begun her chiropractic studies by starting with the Pre-Chiropractic course, then completed 4 years at Chiropractic College. This was followed by 2 years of post-graduate studies and of those 7 years of study which she says hasn’t been easy, the years flew by as she was truly passionate about what she was doing. Anna is passionate about working with, and learning about the human body, and during her studies she did well as her grades reflected her passion for what she was learning.
A love for her hometown and knowing that she wants to offer her future family the same lifestyle and community in Whakatane that she enjoyed growing up in meant she inevitably returned home. She says Whakatane has a community with forward thinking people with an interest in health and wellbeing so it meant setting up her business was relatively straight forward. At the end of 2015 Anna returned to Whakatane and began the process of starting her first Chiropractic practice here in Whakatane. Opening the doors in April 2016 quickly led to a solid clientele and in September 2016 her practice was awarded ‘The Easter Bay Chamber of Commerce Emerging Business of the Year’ award. Her practice has gone from strength to strength and with demand it has grown to include a second clinic in Opotiki, 3 additional Chiropractors and 4 administration staff.
Having practiced Chiropractic for years now, Anna says she is ‘wowed’ daily at the amazing human body with its ability to function and heal. Her primary practice currently lies with treating pregnant women and paediatric patients (babies).
With a keen interest in keeping connected with Trident, Anna is happy to have students who are interested in learning more about Chiropractic to come and observe her in practice and encourages students to attend an open day at the Chiropractic College in Auckland to learn more about this exciting and rewarding career.
Anna Heath is a local chiropractor who begun Eastern Bay Chiropractic here in Whakatane and now has another clinic in Opotiki. Anna left Trident in 2000 and lucky for Whakatane has returned here to practice chiropractic.
During her time at Trident Anna immersed herself into extra curricular sports which she has fond memories of, and especially mentions Mrs Helen Dobbin as her favourite teacher who instilled her passion for the outdoors in Anna. Through Mrs Dobbin’s Outdoor Education classes Anna came to enjoy mountain biking and multisports. As a member of the Trident Moto X team, Anna spent many weekends busy with racing, and also played ‘Goal Keep’ in the senior Football team. While she says she was academically an average student, she took advantage of a range of subjects such as Design, Painting and Science classes.
After leaving school, Anna begun her chiropractic studies by starting with the Pre-Chiropractic course, then completed 4 years at Chiropractic College. This was followed by 2 years of post-graduate studies and of those 7 years of study which she says hasn’t been easy, the years flew by as she was truly passionate about what she was doing. Anna is passionate about working with, and learning about the human body, and during her studies she did well as her grades reflected her passion for what she was learning.
A love for her hometown and knowing that she wants to offer her future family the same lifestyle and community in Whakatane that she enjoyed growing up in meant she inevitably returned home. She says Whakatane has a community with forward thinking people with an interest in health and wellbeing so it meant setting up her business was relatively straight forward. At the end of 2015 Anna returned to Whakatane and began the process of starting her first Chiropractic practice here in Whakatane. Opening the doors in April 2016 quickly led to a solid clientele and in September 2016 her practice was awarded ‘The Easter Bay Chamber of Commerce Emerging Business of the Year’ award. Her practice has gone from strength to strength and with demand it has grown to include a second clinic in Opotiki, 3 additional Chiropractors and 4 administration staff.
Having practiced Chiropractic for years now, Anna says she is ‘wowed’ daily at the amazing human body with its ability to function and heal. Her primary practice currently lies with treating pregnant women and paediatric patients (babies).
With a keen interest in keeping connected with Trident, Anna is happy to have students who are interested in learning more about Chiropractic to come and observe her in practice and encourages students to attend an open day at the Chiropractic College in Auckland to learn more about this exciting and rewarding career.
Paula Kearns
Class of 1983
Paula Kearns attended Trident High School in the 1980’s when the school was half the size of our current roll but the similarities between when she attended and now are vast. When reflecting on some of her fond memories Paula spoke of a weekly elective programme, one we still run, and one our students still thoroughly enjoy. In the elective programme she rode her horse with Pony Club, the same horse that often ran away during the day and her father, who was Trident’s founding principal, had to locate Paula during class to tell her to go find it! Another similarity between Paula’s time at Trident and that of our current students is that she says Trident had really good teachers who were devoted to helping students realise their potential. Infact, it was a teacher that inspired Paula to take the initial career path she did. Ms Matheson, who was Paula’s Accounting teacher, told her ‘You’re really good at this, it comes easy to you and you should think about a career in this field’. While those words did not immediately influence Paula to head into Accounting, they did stick with her and it wasn’t long before she pursued Accounting studies.
After a successful career in Accounting for 25 years, including working with big corporate companies and private practice, Paula had a change of direction. Her degree and experience in accounting provided her with skills that would compliment this new direction into management. Paula has been involved in management as Acting CEO for New Zealand Women’s Football, CEO of the Canoe Racing Association and for the past 6 years has been CEO of Youthtown with a staff of 300. Her role as CEO of Youthtown meant many things to Paula, but above all she strove to make everyone’s day the best if could be, supporting people in their roles in order for them to realise their own success. She says this comes down to understanding teamwork as being integral to success “without a successful team, you struggle to achieve anything”. Her ability to have one vision and apply this strategically across the whole business meant that sometimes she had to make hard decisions, go ahead and implement them, knowing that while it was the best thing for the business it was not always what individual staff would be happy with. Implementing such change, while difficult at times, has required Paula to believe wholeheartedly in the creation of new visions and has realised many career highlights for Paula. She recalls how watching the u117’s New Zealand Women’s Football team win gold at the 2008 Women’s World Cup was a proud moment, knowing that the structure and environment she had created had paid off. Supporting a fellow Whakatane born woman - Lisa Carrington in Canoe Racing also left Paula with a sense of pride. She watched Lisa gain her first world title in Hungary in 2011 and then win gold at the Olympics in 2012. A diverse and successful career journey has enabled Paula to now take some time off and travel the world and we wish her every bit of fun and adventure.
Paula is keen to be involved in leadership mentorship of our young Trident women and we are very happy to take her up on this as she has a wealth of knowledge that our students will benefit from greatly.
Paula Kearns attended Trident High School in the 1980’s when the school was half the size of our current roll but the similarities between when she attended and now are vast. When reflecting on some of her fond memories Paula spoke of a weekly elective programme, one we still run, and one our students still thoroughly enjoy. In the elective programme she rode her horse with Pony Club, the same horse that often ran away during the day and her father, who was Trident’s founding principal, had to locate Paula during class to tell her to go find it! Another similarity between Paula’s time at Trident and that of our current students is that she says Trident had really good teachers who were devoted to helping students realise their potential. Infact, it was a teacher that inspired Paula to take the initial career path she did. Ms Matheson, who was Paula’s Accounting teacher, told her ‘You’re really good at this, it comes easy to you and you should think about a career in this field’. While those words did not immediately influence Paula to head into Accounting, they did stick with her and it wasn’t long before she pursued Accounting studies.
After a successful career in Accounting for 25 years, including working with big corporate companies and private practice, Paula had a change of direction. Her degree and experience in accounting provided her with skills that would compliment this new direction into management. Paula has been involved in management as Acting CEO for New Zealand Women’s Football, CEO of the Canoe Racing Association and for the past 6 years has been CEO of Youthtown with a staff of 300. Her role as CEO of Youthtown meant many things to Paula, but above all she strove to make everyone’s day the best if could be, supporting people in their roles in order for them to realise their own success. She says this comes down to understanding teamwork as being integral to success “without a successful team, you struggle to achieve anything”. Her ability to have one vision and apply this strategically across the whole business meant that sometimes she had to make hard decisions, go ahead and implement them, knowing that while it was the best thing for the business it was not always what individual staff would be happy with. Implementing such change, while difficult at times, has required Paula to believe wholeheartedly in the creation of new visions and has realised many career highlights for Paula. She recalls how watching the u117’s New Zealand Women’s Football team win gold at the 2008 Women’s World Cup was a proud moment, knowing that the structure and environment she had created had paid off. Supporting a fellow Whakatane born woman - Lisa Carrington in Canoe Racing also left Paula with a sense of pride. She watched Lisa gain her first world title in Hungary in 2011 and then win gold at the Olympics in 2012. A diverse and successful career journey has enabled Paula to now take some time off and travel the world and we wish her every bit of fun and adventure.
Paula is keen to be involved in leadership mentorship of our young Trident women and we are very happy to take her up on this as she has a wealth of knowledge that our students will benefit from greatly.
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