Rebecca Dorsey now has Waitaki Girls’ High School head girl duties at the top of her “to-do” list.

The busy 17-year-old works at Harbour View Resthome part time, and also runs her own dance business, teaching more than 60 pupils.

“I love working with people, and that’s kind of what my life is at the moment - school, work and trying to catch up with friends.”

In the head girl role, she wanted to set a good example to the other pupils.

Rebecca’s mother Christine Dorsey used to be migrant support worker for the Waitaki Newcomers Network, which provided the teenager with an opportunity to meet a lot of people from different countries and ethnicities.

“I think that has made me very respectful, and an understanding person . . . Our school has quite a wide range of people from different countries, but we never really hear about it.

“Like, they kind of just settle into school, and no-one really knows that much about them, but it would be nice to give them the opportunity to, if they’re brave enough, to speak about their background, because I think it does definitely make you a more understanding person.”

The head girl role would also provide a great opportunity to develop her leadership and organisation skills, she said.

Once school was finished, although she loved her work in the dementia ward at the resthome, Rebecca had always wanted to be a teacher.

“I think I will study teaching, just so I have that degree, and then if things change, they do - but I always have that to fall back on, because I know I’ll probably be good at that job, because I’ve had such a lot of experience with little children.

She was a Highland dancer for five years, until the age of 10, before problems with her ankles meant she had to stop, and so in year 8, she decided to try teaching dance instead.

The classes began with six pupils, for a gold coin donation, but in 2021, after a Covid-induced hiatus, the numbers picked up. A lot.

“So every term the amount of children would be building . . . I think I’m at around 60 at the moment.” 

She runs seven classes on Mondays and Tuesdays after school, and holds two concerts a year. 

The head girl position was decided on by staff and students, and Rebecca found she had been chosen about a month after her final interview, at the school’s end of year senior prizegiving.

“It was such a cool way to find out, because everyone’s just so happy for you - it’s very exciting.” 

One of the first things she did in the role was look through a pile of books left by previous head girls. 

“Every head girl writes a few pages in a book about their experience . . .  So I’ve just written down notes of when things are happening, and what you have to do.” 

She was most excited about working with the year 9s, and said it was “quite crazy” to think that was her and the other year 13s not so long ago. 

“It’s nice being able to talk to them about what it’s going to be like.”