Service Academy life-changing experience
At the Queen Elizabeth College Service Academy, Lance Tahiwi is known as Staff.
In charge of the Palmerston North secondary school academy since it was established in 2012, Tahiwi has 60 of the school’s 200-odd students under his wing.
Next year, those numbers will increase by 20 when he starts a year 11 group.
Last week, the academy put on its prizegiving parade, in front of friends and family members. It featured a display of military parade ground drills, a formal march past, haka and a well choreographed marching display.
College teacher Jarrod Olson said the academy under Tahiwi worked wonders with ‘‘kids who were a little off-track’’.
Some, like Tanika Jeffery, 14, attended the school because of the academy.
‘‘I’ve always had an interest in joining the forces, and the academy was the reason I came [here].
‘‘It has given me leadership skills, my fitness has improved, I’ve met new people and I’ve learned things that I can use outside the academy and outside of school.’’
Tanika, who wants to join the Royal New Zealand Air Force, was looking forward to the year 10 camp at Mangaweka with activities such as tramping, navigating, swimming and rafting.
Kataraina Duff, 18, had applied to join the Royal New Zealand Navy.
Two years ago Duff joined the academy because she could see the difference it had made in the lives of friends.
‘‘It has helped me stay in school,’’ she said.
Jordan Clement, 18, moved to Palmerston North half-way through last year.
He said reading a Stuff story about how the academy had turned someone’s life around confirmed his decision.
‘‘It has helped me find out how to get to where I wanted to go.’’
Already a volunteer firefighter, Clement wanted to join Fire and Emergency NZ, formerly the NZ Fire Service, as a fulltime firefighter.