Ōpunake High School dux and proxime accessit heading south for tertiary education

Ōpunake High School's 2024 dux Caleb Neil and proxime accessit Charlie Carr, both 17.

Ōpunake High School senior students celebrated success at the school’s annual prizegiving.

The McNeil Adams Cup, OHS Medal and Dan Holmes Freemasons Award for Dux of the school was awarded to Caleb Neil, 17.

Caleb said earning the award was a long-term goal.

“It felt like a weight was off my shoulders. My lifetime of work and the lifetime of support I’ve received from my family, my school, my friends and my community is beginning to bear fruit. This award will be my legacy here and a symbol to myself as to why I have chosen to commit to academia.”

He said the award signalled a new beginning.

“I still have so far to go and while I am proud, it’s so important to me to not use this as an excuse to become lazy.”

He is heading to the University of Otago next year to study first-year health science.

The school’s 2024 proxime accessit is Charlie Carr, 17, who said hearing her name called was a surprise.

“I know there are very intellectual and high-achieving academic students in my year group, so receiving this award was a pretty cool surprise.”

She said winning the award recognised the hard work she had put in.

“I have always tried to put my best efforts forward involving schoolwork and aimed to achieve at the highest level. I was aware getting this award was a possibility and just allowed it to be another driver to keep working hard throughout the year.”

Charlie said she would join Caleb in the south next year.

“I’m going to the University of Otago where I will be studying a marine biology major and a zoology minor.”

Major prize list:

McNeil Adams Cup, OHS Medal and Dan Holmes Freemasons Award for Dux of the school: Caleb Neil, OHS Medal and Award for Proxime Accessit: Charlie Carr, OHS 2013 Prefect Cup - most outstanding prefect: Caris Bradford; OHS Board of Trustees Cup for student BOT representative: Cheska Centeno, Bolger Cup for leadership of student council: Cheska Centeno, Woolford Cup - Sportsman of the Year: Jahrese Tamata, Nicholas Cup for Sportswoman of the Year: Paige Taylor, James Trophy for all-round contribution to the school Year 9-11: Kymani Paraata, A&V Sandford Trophy for care of the environment: Sarah Koubaridis, OHS DREAM Trophy for DREAM values in school and extra-curricular: Charlie Carr, Minister of Education Cup for services to the school: Charlie Carr, Combined Churches Award for outstanding character: Cheska Centeno and Caleb Neil, Wotton Award for diligence and commitment to the school: Caris Bradford, Griffith Merit Cup for best all-round girl: Charlie Carr, Graham Sulzberger Memorial Cup for best all-round boy: Luke Forsyth, Huarahi ki te Mahi Excellence Award: Caris Bradford. Lena Sharrock Award for Runner-Up in Year 11: Mya Caldwell, Pam Morris Cup & Medal for top Year 11 student: Tessa Cook, Sue Spindler Award for runner-up in Year 12: Ella Danz, Sue Spindler Cup and Award for top Year 12 student: Benjamin Gasson, Taonga Te Maunga Tuu for recognising high levels of academic achievement for senior Māori students: Caleb Neil