The remarkable feats of Southland teens were celebrated at the annual ILT Youthmark Young Achiever Awards at the Ascot Park Hotel last night (Wednesday, 25 October).
From sports to academia and the arts, the awards and accompanying photography exhibition featured achievements across a diverse array of genres.
First initiated in 1987, the Youthmark Awards are supported by the ILT and Mataura Licensing Trust and recognise Year 13 students from all Southland secondary schools who have excelled in their chosen field.
Invercargill photographer Vanessa Adcock was tasked with capturing images of the 50 successful students for the exhibition and was suitably in awe of their accomplishments.
“I have thoroughly enjoying working with such bright, well-adjusted young adults. This award is testament to their dedication and validates all of their hard work. They are each so deserving of the honour,” she said.
“To see such a high calibre coming through certainly bodes well for our future and I’m excited to see what they will achieve as they step forward into the next phase of their lives.
“It’s so important we continue to celebrate our youth as a community as they will undoubtedly inspire others.”
ILT president Paddy O’Brien congratulated this year’s recipients.
“ILT values the important contribution that our youth make toward our vision of a vibrant Invercargill, and we take pride in our longstanding commitment to support youth, through initiatives like the Youthmark Awards,” he said.
“We’re thrilled to be involved in celebrating some of the region’s high achievers, recognising that while each one shines individually, their collective impact is tremendous.
“We’d also like to acknowledge the schools for their unwavering dedication, their support is instrumental to the success of these outstanding students.”
Photographing such a vast collection of images was a great experience for Adcock, who has succeeded Shelley Clark after a 30-year involvement in the initiative.
“This assignment really did have it all – from clay target shooting to science labs and even crouching in the corner of a squash court trying not to get hit by the ball. I’ve loved the challenge.”
The exhibition will be on display at the Ascot Park Hotel until Wednesday, 1 November.
The 2023 ILT Youthmark Young Achievers Award recipients are:
Aparima College: Tahla Ward
Aurora College: Lauren Daley MacGregor, Hakopa Thomas
Blue Mountain College: Elizabeth Lamb
Central Southland College: Brooke Anderson, Trey Anderson-Kereti, Archie Bryan, Edward Horrell, Grace Watson
Fiordland College: Nicole Green, Josh Ruddenklau
Gore High School: Harry Lyall, Mackenzie Napier, Ailish Wilson
James Hargest College: James Bath, Ruby Bath, Sean Bath, Lydia Blomfield, Meadow Bodkin-Allen, Marshall Erwood, Conrad Clark, Benjamin Elder, Ingamar Siegruhn, Levi Stout, Holly Cunliffe, Ryder Mikkelsen
Menzies College: Sophie Ferguson, Hunter Richards
Northern Southland College: Makenzie Appleyard-Drake
Southland Girls’ High School: Zoe Anderson, Charliese Erskine, Jade Hamilton, Harri Pickett, Kennedy Taylor, Caitlyn Wallace
Southland Boys’ High School: Nick Brown, Ruairidh MacCallum, Oshadha Perera, Gregor Rutledge, Matthew Smith, Fraser Wilson
St Peter’s College: Dixie-Leigh Burr, Mary Salvana
Te Wharekura O Arowhenua: James Edwin
Verdon College: Isobel Andres, Kayla Barker, Kate McGregor, Sophie Quill, Leo Shaw
Waiau Area School: Alyssa Harding