Familiar face back in Fairlie for ‘dream job’
Sam Nelson has started his ‘‘dream job’’ as the new principal of Mackenzie College, and a former colleague says he was destined for the role.
The Pleasant Point-born man, who for the past four months was the director of boarding at Timaru Boys’ High School’s Thomas House, took up his first principal’s position last week and was ‘‘absolutely loving it’’.
TBHS rector Dave Thorp said he was
‘‘very proud’’ to see Nelson take on the role of principal.
‘‘Sam was destined to be a principal,’’ Thorp said.
It is not Nelson’s first time at Mackenzie College – he was the school’s deputy principal in 2017, again leaving a position at TBHS to take up the role.
‘‘We are very proud of Sam and when he did come back to us for the director of boarding he told us the only job he would leave the role for was principal of Mackenzie College. No-one expected the opportunity to come up so soon,’’ Thorp said.
‘‘But of course he had to take it.’’
Nelson began his teaching career at Buller High School, but decided he and his young family would be better suited for South Canterbury.
‘‘I am a Point boy, and I was super excited to come back to South Canterbury,’’ Nelson said.
‘‘I took on the role of PE teacher at Timaru Boys’ High School, and I was there for 11 years.’’
Nelson said he had loved being the Mackenzie College deputy principal as it was a ‘‘fresh challenge’’.
‘‘From there becoming a principal became my dream job.’’
When he started back at TBHS in early 2022, he was keen on learning new skills that would help in his next step to become a principal.
‘‘I was definitely hoping to be in that role for two or three years, I didn’t anticipate this role coming up so soon,’’ he said.
On Nelson’s first day back at Mackenzie College, on the first day of term three, he was handed over to the school by Thorpe, Rachel Fenwick and three students from TBHS in a pō whiri.