Student Profile – Melika Hamedi

Kia ora, everyone. Ko Melika Hamedi tōku ingoa, and I am honoured to be your 2026 Deputy Head Prefect for Aroha!

Describe yourself in 3 words

Approachable, driven and compassionate,

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

During my time at Te Kura o Hine Waiora, I have had the privilege of being part of many different committees, which have all helped me grow as a person. I’ve been lucky enough to be part of committees such as the student council, global relations, environment, welcoming, house committee, and Wellbeing committee. I have really enjoyed being part of all these groups, but my time on the Wellbeing Committee has been especially rewarding. It has allowed me to express my passion for mental health awareness and to help ensure that everyone in our kura feels safe and supported. I have also been a part of peer support and a tuaka leader, where I have been lucky enough to build connections with the year 9s and help them with the start of their journey at high school. 

I have also loved getting involved in sports, and although I’ve mostly played social sports, they have been a real highlight for me and a great way to connect with friends. This year, my friends and I signed up for social basketball, and it quickly became one of the best parts of my week. I have absolutely loved getting together every week with my friends for a fun game of basketball and some friendly competition. I have also been part of netball and social touch, which have both been extremely memorable.

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

One of my most memorable experiences at CGHS has been peer support. I loved seeing my year 9 class slowly start to warm up to each other and bring their own unique personalities to their classroom as a big family. I loved spending time with them in their first weeks of school as they began their time at Te Kura o Hine Waiora. I also learnt a lot about the importance of leadership as I saw the impact that it had on the Year 9s.

Another one of my most memorable experiences at CGHS has been the Year 10 camp. It was an amazing opportunity to not only solidify our friendships but also to strengthen our resilience. We were able to learn the importance of teamwork through many different activities, which brought us all together as a team. Even now, the camp is something we all look back on as a fun memory that we all miss. 

Another really memorable experience for me has been athletics day, as every year my ako class always chooses a theme that we all dress up as. We have actually won the best dressed class every single year, which is one of our proudest achievements! I absolutely love spending the day with all of my friends as we go around giving the activities our best go and rocking our beautiful outfits!

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

I enjoy all of my subjects as they all help build my understanding of the world we live in. My favourite subjects are media and physics. I really enjoy studying the way in which society is represented through film and media, and the effect that it has on people. I find it intriguing to see the way in which different eras have been illustrated in films and how historical events have shaped characters, themes, and storylines. I enjoy the touch of creativity we have during assignments, as it enables me to form my own opinions and understand how it is relevant to everyday life. Similar to media, I really enjoy how physics has adapted over time and how it constantly connects to real life. I am continuously looking for how physics can be applied to my daily life. As physics is a challenging subject, I love how it makes me think critically and forces me to give things multiple attempts. Another thing I love is that the environment of the classroom allows us to challenge ideas, which deepens our understanding.