Hāwera High School past pupils' profiles

The Hāwera High School 100 year centennial is taking place on Labour Weekend this October.

Hāwera High School is holding their 100-year centennial event on Labour Weekend in October this year. Below are profiles of two previous Hāwera High School students, Patrick Cameron and Michael Knight

Patrick Cameron: Hairdresser

Patrick Cameron.

What is your fondest memory from Hāwera High School?
What high school did for me was give me the ability to stand up for myself against the normal high school bullies and the stigma of not being good at sports and focus on who I was and where I fitted in. There are so many young people like me who have little or no academic ability, no real sport potential or may be struggling with their sexual identity. I want to say to you there is a huge world out there and a special place for you to flourish and create a life that can be all you dreamed of.

Achievements since High School:
Hāwera High School was the beginning of my adult journey. I have taken the building blocks from my young days at Hāwera High to catapult my life from Matapu/ Hāwera to some of the most incredible stages around the world from the Royal Albert Hall in London to the huge Kremlin stage in Moscow. I'm now thought of as one of the biggest global names in our multi-billion dollar industry. I know the New Zealand Hairdressing industry is proud of who I am and what I have done to promote hair dressing as an incredible career option.

Michael Knight: Former All-Black

Michael Knight.

What years were you at Hāwera High School ?
1959 (3L) 1960 (4L) 1961 (5A) 1962 (6b) 1963 (6a)

Achievements since High School:
In 1964 I joined an English-based Meat Exporting Company in Hastings, moving to Auckland then Wellington in 1969. It was during this period I won the NZ Junior Athletic 100 yards title and represented Hawke's Bay, Counties and Wellington
Rugby Unions, gaining All Black selection in 1968.

Subsequently the following 10 years was spent as an expat based in Singapore, Australia and United Kingdom. On return to New Zealand I was in involved in logistics, production, commercial and export sales management.

In 1995 I started my own consulting business specialising in course design and delivery, consulting to small to medium companies in business development then subsequently in the delivery and development of quality, human resources, health and safety management.

To deliver these courses I used work experience, Massey University Studies plus qualifications as an International Assessor and Lead Auditor. I am now partially retired being the chairperson of a medium sized manufacturing business.