Solway College head girl, Anna Rossiter-Stead. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
By Jake Beleski
Being thrust into a leadership role can be a challenging and daunting task at times, but some of Wairarapa’s young leaders have been embracing their extra responsibilities.
Solway College head girl Anna Rossiter-Stead, and Rathkeale College head boy Pranay Singh, have both enjoyed the first half of the school year in their respective positions.
For Anna, it was a “privilege” to have been chosen as head girl earlier this year, and she had plenty to look forward to when school resumes.
“I work alongside a great team of prefects who make it easier for me,” she said.
“I have learnt how to balance the different areas of my life and I’m beginning to manage my time much better.”
Anna is responsible for a range of activities at Solway — from chairing the student council and school ball committee to organising the Year 13 ski trip.
She also put together a fundraiser for the Bring it to Colombo project earlier in the year.
The extra workload meant learning to prioritise what was important, she said.
“I definitely spend a lot of my so called ‘study time’ chasing people about various things.”
Running a successful ball, ensuring the student council was constructive and well run, and doing her best in her NCEA exams would be the main priorities for the second half of the year, she said.
Pranay said his year so far as Rathkeale head boy had been “great”, and he was enjoying the extra responsibility.
“The extra support of those around me most definitely takes some of the weight off my shoulders.
“The extra responsibility has certainly been something different in comparison to previous years — it feels very different to the last four years, but in a good way.”
Being head boy allowed more space for new initiatives, he said.
“The role has involved lots of extra work beyond the clock, and a lot of work which perhaps goes under the radar.
“It’s awesome to see projects come together, and it’s also a real positive to see other people achieving to their potential.”
Preparation and organisation skills were fundamental in ensuring the continued success of the goals he had set for himself and others at the beginning of the year, he said.
