Remember the name Ethan Reille.

This departing Waitaki Boys’ High School head boy is going places - first up, the Sub-Antarctic Islands.

Ethan has been selected for a Blake Expedition to the region, after taking part in the Blake Inspire programme in April.

For Blake Inspire, he was one of 35 students selected for a week-long residential leadership development programme in partnership with the Environment Ministry.

The group worked with scientists, environmental experts, and a range of leaders to help develop their leadership skills while learning about environmental issues and how to tackle them, Ethan said.

Participants were then eligible to apply for the Blake Expedition, with options for two different destinations - the other was Doubtful Sound.

“I thought I would be a bit bold and adventurous and go Sub-Antarctic Islands,” he said.

He found out a week later, just before his final school exam, that his application had been successful.

“It was pretty awesome.”

A small group of students and teachers will join the National Institute of Water and Atmosperic Research (Niwa) scientists to conduct climate, geology, and ecology surveys on Campbell Island, to assess past and present climate systems, species diversity and abundance, and learn about ship life aboard the Royal New Zealand Navy’s ship HMNZS Canterbury.

The group will meet up in Invercargill “for a couple of days of prep” to depart from Bluff on the HMNZS Canterbury, on February 13, returning on the 26th.

Ethan soaks up his environment, as part of the Blake Inspire trip he went on earlier this year. PHOTO: Supplied

Ethan, who had been working at the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony since school finished, said he had developed a “real passion for penguins”, and was looking forward to seeing the “really big ones” you tended to only see on television.

He was also excited about seeing "a massive, massive nest of albatross”.

“I’ve never ever seen an albatross before and there’s a really thriving community down there of different species.”

But he was especially looking forward to seeing a different part of the world, where nature had been “minimally affected by humanity”.

“I think that’s something - a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see wildlife that is really unaffected. But also actually researching a lot of changes that are occurring, because of climate change and global warming, and how those species in the environment of the Sub-Antarctic islands are being impacted, will be really interesting.”

The group will be put to work every day supporting Niwa in its research, and updating records, he said.

To help fund his trip, Ethan was trying to raise at least $2000, to support the Blake team in covering his expenses. This was a figure that was “encouraged” but not compulsory, and he estimated his costs would far exceed that.

“If I don’t raise two grand, that won’t stop me from going, but it will definitely help me.”

Looking further into the future, Ethan had an opportunity to go to university in Birmingham, England next year, to study politics and social policy. If that fell through, he would head to Victoria University in Wellington for a Bachelor of Arts majoring in political science and international relations, with a minor in economics.

Along with being head boy this year, he was also Waitaki Youth MP, chairman of the Waitaki District Youth Council for 2021/2022, and had worked for the council as Community Development Support.

He saw his future within government policy making, with climate change, mental health and education, all topics he was “very passionate” about.

“So this [trip] will be something that really supports that, especially around climate change and our environment.” 

His dream occupation would be in world ministry. He is adamant he has no ambition to be prime minister one day.

“I think anyone that’s doing it for the right intentions would never have a goal of wanting to be a minister or wanting to be prime minister . . . and I can imagine how hard the job is, being under that spotlight. 

“Whatever I’m doing, I'm very happy to be behind the scenes, and creating that change, so anything that involves government decision making I’d be very passionate and happy with.”  

This year had been the most challenging and disruptive of the global pandemic in New Zealand, from the point of view of schools and teenagers, he said.. 

“We’d never had to face the virus ourselves first-hand [until now]. . . Whether it was families having to take time off work to be at home with the kids, or students actually having to be at home while all your friends and the other classmates and teachers are still at school, and you’re actually missing out on that learning. So yeah, very disruptive.”

At times the head boy found it “daunting” in his role, trying to be a support to other students, but also juggling his own needs. 

“But the end of the day we got through it, and we always do get through it.”

Ethan remained optimistic about the future, despite the challenges facing his generation.

“You just have to be - you have to get on with it.” 

The increased cost of living was a clear and present challenge, as a young person having to consider issues like paying rent and other bills, for the first time. His optimism came from knowing things were not going to last forever. 

“These things come in waves and eventually it will settle, like it always has done . . . we just have to ride it out now, to get back on track.”