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This week marks the end of 13 years of schooling for 88 graduating Year 13 students at Mahurangi College. They officially signed off on December 13 to begin new lives as students, employees and, we are confident, productive members of the community. On prize-giving night, one of these students picked up a whole swag of prizes and scholarships including the Patricia and Alan Schedewy Family Cup for 2005 Mahurangi College Dux. Editor Jannette Thompson found bridging the generation gap with 18-year-old Tim Blackbourn much easier than she imagined …
Red House leader, school prefect and Dux – it’s been a busy year for you.
Year 13 has been heaps of fun. It’s a completely different atmosphere than Year 12.
The teachers still expect you to do the work but they tend to hand over the responsibility for doing this to the students. I guess this is preparing us for university. But as a result, you tend to see teachers in a different way and I’ve even got to like a few!
I take it then, your life hasn’t all been study?
I think the best way to enjoy Year 13 is to get involved. We started the year with a camp on Great Barrier which was a great way to get to know everyone. The inter-house haka competition was heaps of fun and I thought it was cool that the winning Red House team was lead by this big, white, lanky guy (me). Year 13s organise the school ball and although I wasn’t one of the main organisers, I did help and really enjoyed it.
Have there been any particular highlights in your year?
Playing winger in the First XV. We came 5th in the North Harbour competition which was Mahurangi’s second best ever result.
Winger? Are you fast then?
I guess so. I won the senior boys 100m in the School Athletics.
Any other highlights?
The college sailing team competed in the nationals and got a bronze. It was the fifth nationals I’d competed in – our best performance was last year when we got the silver. Mahurangi, Kerikeri and Auckland Grammar are always close. They’re great races – only eight minutes long and because you race as a team, it involves all sorts of tactics and strategies.
I hate to broach the subject of school work but how did you balance such a busy life with study?
I’ve never been very good at literary subjects and I’m not artistic at all. But I do enjoy Maths. I think when you enjoy a subject you tend to grasp the concepts easier so I haven’t found the work overly difficult. We had a two week holiday before the last school exams so I set that time aside to study. Because I put in the effort then, it took the pressure off when it came to the NECA exams at the end of the year. I still go out on weekends and have a life.
What’s in store for next year?
My subjects this year were chemistry, physics, Maths statistics, Maths calculus and geography so I’ll continue with the Maths and science subjects. I don’t have a clear idea of what I want to be but I’ve applied to Auckland University to do a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical). I guess my goals are pretty much the same as what everybody wants – I want to get a degree, a well-paying job and to travel the world. I’d like to go to Europe because there is so much history there. I’d also like to one day go to somewhere like the Aotea Centre to hear a really world class concert pianist.
How do you relax?
Listen to music and watch TV. I like punk and rock, groups like Green Day and Foo Fighters. Scrubs is good. I also like playing the piano. I don’t do the exams but I’ve been playing for about nine years and I guess I would be around the grade six level. I’ve been in the Warkworth Boys Brigade for eight or nine years. Last year, Nathan Shore, Josh Dunne and I went to Government House to receive our Queen’s Badge for Boys Brigade from the Governor General Dame Silvia Cartwright. In June I went to a National Leaders Development Course, at the Nelson Lakes. The brigade teaches you discipline, respect and practical skills like first aid and CPR. The marching is pretty cool, too.
