Bella Fraser and Max Hall

SUE WARDS

Mount Aspiring College keeps turning out impressive students for the roles of Head Girl and Boy, and this year’s pair is no exception, providing between them a balance of arts, science, sport, performance and service.

Bella Fraser and Max Hall (both 17-years-old) are poles apart in some ways: Bella’s the approachable one, Max says, and the organised one - she brought her diary to the interview. A question about the number of Year 13 students leads her straight to her phone and the correct answer (it’s 146). Max - not so much. He has no idea how many Year 13 students there are, and hasn’t used his phone for a few months ("Where is my phone?” he wonders). But Max is super-approachable too, and clearly the talker of the two.

Bella admits to being the sporty one. She loves running (she completed The Challenge with team member Sam Copeland, running the 21km in 1.56 and meeting her goal of completing in under two hours). She’s been in the First XI girls’ football team since Year 9, and is keen on orienteering, rogaine, adventure racing and mountain biking.

"I love just getting outdoors - I love the freedom of the outdoors,” she says.

Bella is studying Spanish, Photography, Geography, Statistics and English, and plans to go to teachers’ college next year to become a primary school teacher. She’d also like to travel at some stage, and perhaps be a nanny overseas.

Max is the arts student, he says (he is known for his dance and performance skills). But as well as studying English, Drama, and Design, he is also studying Physics, Maths, and Outdoor Pursuits. He hopes to study astrophysics in London (but points out he may change his mind about this). He likes to mix up the ‘right brain/left brain’ dichotomy, he says.

It’s no surprise that in this year’s school musical (Catch Me As You Can - on stage next year), Max will be on stage (in one of the lead roles) and Bella is looking forward to organising things backstage.

For all their differences, Max and Bella agree their mission this year is to contribute to improving communication and interaction between year groups in the growing college.

Bella talks about bringing ideas to fruition across the age groups. "We want to improve that interaction between all the year levels, so they know we’re here for them - we’re the student voice for them - so if they have an idea for something that’s happening in their part of the school, we can try to help them get it done.”

Max agrees, and adds: "We’re there as role models. It’s our job to set the tone for the school, making a positive appearance, and influencing the students to do their best.”

They plan to visit the different year levels every now and then to let students know they are there, and they care.

Both Bella and Max are founding members of the anti-bullying group Stick ‘n’ Stones, and both believe that MAC has built - and continues to reinforce - positive behaviour in this area. That happens through reminding students about the right thing to do with events such as Pink Shirt Day, Random Acts of Kindness Day, and the ‘take a free compliment’ initiative - "to keep the positive behaviour going”, Max says.

When asked what they’d like to achieve by the end of the year, Max is quick to say he would like to make a positive impact "from the perspective of the arts”, as possibly the first Head Boy who isn’t also captain of the First XV. Bella is determined to take up all the opportunities she’s given this year, as well as work towards making relationships within the school year groups more connected.

Max and Bella have started as they mean to go on, visiting different year groups within the college, and they will also play a role in our community. Bella’s first community event is to read the roll of honour at the Lake Hawea dawn service on ANZAC day. Max has already started - he spoke at the Wanaka Primary School graduation late last year.

Expect to see more of this well balanced duo.

PHOTO: Wanaka App