Starting my journey at Ao Tawhiti in 2021, I have been able to achieve many goals and fully utilise the special character that the school represents. Having the ability to choose how I learn and how I manage my time during school ensured I was meeting academic goals as well as having support in my passions. As an individual who has passion for nothing but dance, motivation for academic requirements was going to be a struggle, but with a flexible schedule and options like arotahi and offsite learning I was able to meet both academic and dance achievements. With support from the school I was able to travel to Portugal for the 2023 Hip Hop Unite World Championships. I was supported by both students and staff, whether it was financially or words of encouragement. Ao Tawhiti also supported me for many other opportunities like DanceNZMade nationals, Golden Ticket Awards and other dance competitions where the Ao Tawhiti Student Initiative fund heavily supported my travels. Academically, adapting to the personalised schedule and my ability to set my own learning goals helped me to develop skills of independence, accountability and determination which are key skills for my future ahead.
Caleb
