Student Profile – Jessica Peters

Kia ora everyone. My name is Jessica Peters, and I have the absolute privilege of being the 2026 deputy head student for Rangatiratanga.

Describe yourself in 3 words

Loyal, hard working, Empathetic 

What extracurricular activities or clubs do you participate in at school, and what do you find most enjoyable about them?

During my 2 years at CGHS, I have been involved in a vast variety of activities, ranging from committees, drama groups, musics groups, sports groups, and a coach for younger CGHS sporting teams. I have been a part of the laboratory assistant, house committee, welcoming committee, librarian, drama committee, music committee, wellbeing committee and SHE committee.

I have also been a peer support leader in 2025, and have been a Tukana leader, where I have been fortunate enough to build connections with the year 9’s through these leadership opportunities, and have been able to help the year 9’s settle into their new high school journeys smoothly. In the drama area, I have been involved in the Shakespeare Sheilah Winn competition for 2 years, and have been part of musical mania for 2 years as well.

In the music area, I have been a part of the orchestra, and cantrices during 2024, but unfortunately had to stop this year due to sporting commitments. In the sporting area, I have played in the tennis senior A team, and have been in the 3rd XI and 1st XI hockey teams, where I was fortunate enough to also be able to go away on tournament week. I have also dedicated my time to coaching year 9’s for term 1 tennis, and have also coached the CGHS White team for hockey.

Overall, I find that being able to participate in so much at school allows me to meet different people from all walks of life. I have made so many friends through all these activities, and have built lifelong relationships. I have also enjoyed having the opportunity to connect with all year groups through these activities, and have learnt so much about who I am as a leader, about how important hard work is to achieve your goals, and to enjoy life to the fullest, and be involved in as much as I can. 

Can you describe some positive or memorable experiences you’ve had at CGHS

One of my most memorable experiences I’ve had at CGHS was making the 1st XI hockey team. This was my biggest goal for 2025, and it was something that I had been working really hard on for months after the 2024 season finished. I put a lot of effort and time into my training for both fitness and skills, and it was so rewarding to see my hard work and determination had paid off when I made the team. 

Another memorable experience I’ve had at CGHS was coaching my CGHS White hockey team this year. It was such an honour to be able to coach another team for the school as a year 12 student, and it was so amazing to be a part of each player’s growth and development throughout the season. The team had the most amazing team culture, which shone through in their games, and it was so rewarding to have coached the team to the final for their division. 

Another memorable experience I’ve had at CGHS was being a peer support leader in 2025. It was the most amazing experience to have been able to help the new year 9’s settle into CGHS, and make them feel welcomed and a sense of belonging. Through this experience I learned so much about the kind of leader I am, and how important the program is, and how much of a difference it really makes in the lives of others. Being a part of this program was a really special experience for me.  

What are your favourite subjects at school and why do you enjoy them?

My favourite subject at school is performance sports. I’m passionate about playing sports and dedicate much of my time to them, and I also have a strong interest in sports medicine and human anatomy. This subject was the perfect blend between learning more about what interests me in accordance with my sport. I learned so much about myself as an athlete, and learned so much about how I should be training, how the brain learns new skills and learning how to look at sports on a broader and more objective level. This has broadened my understanding of my sport, and I’ve been able to apply this new knowledge in my everyday life, finally understanding what it all means and how it connects. When I leave school, I hope to go into medicine and become a sports doctor. This subject aligns perfectly with my future goals, and it’s pretty cool to already be learning about it while I’m still in school. I also love my teacher, Mr B, who makes the subject so enjoyable.