Tayla Munro
TAKING a risk and joining her local volunteer fire brigade is Tayla Munro’s proudest achievement.
The Maniototo Area School head pupil joined the brigade last year and while initially it pushed her out of her comfort zone, she now refers to the fire station as her ‘‘home away from home’’.
‘‘Being a member of Fire and Emergency New Zealand [Fenz] is helping to dramatically increase my resilience to different challenges and situations, my determination to excel and gives me an opportunity to help others and show my empathetic side,’’ she said.
The resilience, determination and empathy she developed through volunteering with the fire brigade were further reinforced through her school’s values.
‘‘The P.R.I.D.E values of participation, respect, integrity, determination and empathy are certainly a set of core values that are deep within me as a person, and with a lot of work, they have come to the surface and I am now enjoying sharing them with the people I encounter, both familiar and strangers.’’
Tayla had been challenged by different obstacles throughout her school years but chose to use them as motivation rather than discouragement.
‘‘I chose to use them as building blocks to my successes.
‘‘They were often small steps and many of them were backwards, but the feeling I got when I achieved them is one that I hold close.’’
Achievements W J Anderson Memorial Trophy (2021); T L Morgan Trophy (2020); S R Stringer Trophy (2019); Marlborough Championships for swimming (2016); Otago championships for sprints (2017); Maniototo southern area schools tournament team (2019, 2021, 2022); New Zealand area schools’ tournament netball and football (2022); Maniototo Area School girls’ intermediate swimming champion (2018, 2019); house leader (2021); Maniototo Area School sports captain (2021); Student Council (2022); Formal Committee (2021, 2022); Maniototo Area School head pupil (2022); volunteer recruit firefighter (2021, 2022). Role model ‘‘I don’t really have one particular person that inspires me, but I truly do look up to my family members, and members of the fire brigade. Having so many people around me who are willing to drop what they’re doing to help others inspires me greatly.’’ Hopes for the future ‘‘The future is there for me to explore, nothing has been set in stone. I take each day as it comes, and make the most of each and every one of them. I’ve applied to study a bachelor of science majoring in exercise and sports science in 2023, and continue with Fenz when time allows. I would also like to investigate a career in paramedicine or the police force in the future when I get a little life experience under my belt.‘‘