Katie Kinnaird
FOR Katie Kinnaird (17), it’s the small things in life that interest her the most.
The Waitaki Girls’ High School deputy head girl has always had an interest in medical laboratory science, but the Covid19 pandemic has peaked it and she is now focusing on making it her career.
‘‘There’s more openings now from the current climate that we’re living with — there’s definitely going to be a greater variety of options for dealing with vaccines and diseases as they become more relevant.
‘‘It’s probably one of the few good things that have come out of Covid for me.’’
In her bid for the career, she plans to study health science at the University of Otago next year.
Katie is a high achieving academic, having gained NCEA level 1 and 2 with excellence, and received school academic excellence awards for being first in year 11 English, business, and food and nutrition, and year 12 chemistry, English, food and nutrition, and statistics.
Outside the classroom, she is a member of the North Otago and Otago smallbore rifle shooting teams, and has achieved New Zealand Cadet Forces junior and senior noncommissioned officers courses, and holds the rank of Sergeant in the 26 Squadron Air Training Corps.
She said shooting and cadet force training had been character building and had helped her build leadership skills, patience and calmness under pressure.
They had been particularly useful in her work on the Waitaki combined social committee, the Waitaki District Youth
Council and as a peer support leader and Blake Inspire delegate.
Doing so many activities at school and in the community has also made her very good at compartmentalising and focusing on the here and now.
‘‘It’s about clearing everything else out of your mind and just putting all your focus on your goal.
‘‘I like to be busy and get involved in school and extracurricular things. Definitely, learning to balance and prioritise things has been really important.’’
Achievements: Deputy head girl (2022); student council chairwoman (2022); NCEA level 1 and 2 with excellence; 1st in year 11 English, business, and food and nutrition (2020); 1st in year 12 chemistry, English, food and nutrition, statistics (2021); academic excellence award (20202021); cultural service award to the canteen (2021); sports award for performance in smallbore rifle shooting (2021); WGHS smallbore rifle shooting team captain (2022); North Otago and Otago smallbore rifle shooting teams (20212022); Waitaki combined social committee (2022); New Zealand Cadet Forces junior noncommissioned officers course achieved (2020), senior noncommissioned officers course achieved with award for greatest contribution to teamwork (2021); rank of Sergeant in the 26 Squadron Air Training Corps (20212022); peer support leader (2022); member of Waitaki District Youth Council (20212022); Blake Inspire delegate (2022). Role model: Her parents and grandparents. Hopes for the future: To study health sciences at the University of Otago, with the aim of becoming a medical laboratory scientist.