Each year the Napier Lions recognise school leaders who demonstrate resilience, service and excellence in our community. One of their goals is to promote the narrative that there are many really amazing young rangatahi in our community who are doing good things. The award reminds us all that our future is in good hands!

Last year, 2023 our Amokura Tamawahine | Head Girl, Katie Moorcock was the recipient of the award.

This is her acceptance speech:

Kia ora whānau. Ko Katie Moorcock tōku ingoa

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who has been a part of organizing this night and making it successful. I also would like to congratulate the other Young Achievers here tonight.  It is amazing to see our rangatahi getting out there and achieving to the best of their abilities. 

I am proud to be the 2022 Amokura Tamawahine (Head Girl) of Tamatea High School, which is a position I had always hoped to gain but because of my absences through ill health in 2021, I was concerned that I might not be able to fill the position. In my role as Amokura Tamawahine, I represent the school at functions, take the assembly, lead a group of my fellow year 13’s as Amokura (prefects) and I try to lead by example, in everything I do.

I believe my leadership skills were demonstrated in coordinating the school ball and the Taradale Tamatea Schools’ ANZAC ceremony. At the ANZAC ceremony I presented an interactive simulation which allowed the students to feel as if they had been sent to war. I knew it had worked when I saw primary school students excited because they had been lucky enough to survive the war. I was also the organiser of a Facebook page and a live stream of the event which allowed many more students to take part, in spite of  the COVID restrictions.

No matter where I am or have been, school has always been my second home in life. Like a whānau, it is made up of different personalities and they have all helped to shape me. I am proud to have been a leader at Tamatea High School, a school that is working hard to embrace the promises of te Tiriti o Waitangi.  Over the last few years I have tried to contribute and give back to my school and community. I have completed 250 hours of community and school volunteering, which includes but is not limited to; helping plant a ngahere of native trees, mentoring the younger students at our kura and my Amokura contributions.

I want to gain an advanced Qualification in Building Science from Victoria University of Wellington, to become a Senior Project Manager on projects like the rebuild of the Manawatu Gorge and other large infrastructure projects. I have always loved Building and Construction, it’s in my blood. One of my older brothers and my father work in building related industries and they have taught and guided me. I was proud to lead a team of Year 13 girls who worked together to build the large props for the school ball. I work part-time in the local Bunnings store to help pay my way and to save for university. My job at Bunnings is teaching me to think outside the box for solutions, while working within budget.

I currently live at home with my parents and am the youngest of three children.  My older brothers are both very successful and I hope to be able to follow in their footsteps. I know I have very big shoes to fill, but I choose to take that on as a challenge, which I know I can complete because I have the most supportive mentor in my corner, my dad.

None of us knows what is around the corner so I want to make sure I              

• live,

• love and

• laugh as much as I can.

I will take on new challenges. I will say yes to opportunities. I will work hard to achieve high.

Thank you once again, for honouring me with this presentation.