Kari Croucher

KARI Croucher is a firm believer that you can't make decisions based on fear and the possibility of what might happen.

So the East Otago High School deputy head girl is giving herself a small taste of life outside school before making any lifechanging decisions about which career to pursue.

The 17yearold’s greatest challenge at the moment is deciding whether to study for a career in nutrition or veterinary science.

She said she would like to work with farm animals, but she would also like to help people have healthier lifestyles by eating better.

‘‘I’m not leaning one way or the other at the moment. I’m still stuck in the middle.’’

To help make the difficult decision, she has spent time getting work experience at a local vet clinic to see if it would tip the scales one way or the other.

Having NCEA level 1 with excellence, level 2 with merit, and school prizes for overall excellence over the past six years, she can easily do either.

‘‘It will be a big relief when I make the decision.’’

Her career choices come from a love of farm animals and sharing the benefits of having a fit and healthy lifestyle.

At school, she has been the school’s swimming champion since 2016 and has broken the school’s swimming records every year for the past six years.

As well as being the school’s swimming coach, she has been a Schoolwide Positive Behaviour for

Learning representative, a peer support leader and a peer mentor, gently steering fellow pupils to more enjoyable, productive and healthy lifestyles.

While making a career choice has been trying, she says a comforting factor is that time is on her side.

She can spend a year studying one, and if it was not what she wanted, she could change degrees the following year.

‘‘Nothing is set in stone.’’

Achievements: Deputy head girl (2022); peer support leader (2022); peer mentor (20202022); school swimming record breaker (20162021); school swimming coach (20202022); house captain (2021); sports captain (2022); student council rep (20162018, 2021); NCEA level 1 with excellence (2020), level 2 with merit (2021); school prize for overall excellence (20162021); junior and senior swimming champion (20162021); academic excellence by a Maori student (2020/2021); academic achievement in year 11 and 12 (2020/2021); Schoolwide Positive Behaviour for Learning rep (2021); Anzac Day student rep (2022).

Role model: My granddad, Bob.

Hopes for the future: To study nutrition at the University of Otago or veterinary science at Massey University.