Everything Hayaat Dass worked toward “finally paid off” when she received the highest academic achievement at her school prizegiving last month.
The Waihī College year-13 student received the 2024 Waihī College dux award for her dedication and outstanding academic performance.
When Hayaat’s name was called out, she said it was like exhaling after “holding my breath for three very long years”.
The dux winner told The Profile her goal for achieving dux kicked off when she first started college. Whenever she was sidetracked or “felt like giving up”, she said her parents did a “magnificent job” of reminding her of the goal.
She also had a digital sticky-note on her desktop, she said, which named every internal assessment she’d done and the grade she received.
Hayaat called it her “subtle daily reminder”.
“Dux is a reminder that no matter how large a goal may seem to you or even the next person, it does not mean it is not achievable.”
Hayaat said with determination and perseverance, “you can reach it”.
“The sky is the limit,” she said.
Her NCEA level three classes consisted of chemistry, health, physics, history, HUB finance, religious studies and her favourite: calculus, because she’s “a math girl”.
It’s no surprise the top achiever had so far snapped up 134 NCEA level 3 credits, 70 of which were excellence. But across her NCEA journey over the past three years, Hayaat said she gained 380 credits, 163 of which were excellence.
As part of her dux award, she also received a $1200 Waihī Lions Scholarship.
In addition to this, Hayaat received the University of Waikato’s Te Paewai O Te Rangi Scholarship for outstanding academic achievement, which is valued at $30,000.
Hayaat’s plan for next year is to commute daily to the University of Waikato in Tauranga to study an engineering degree in mechatronics.
But the future engineer would have “one less paper” to do because she completed a university paper at the start of this year that would go toward her degree, she said.
The top student was also Waihī College’s leader of learning for 2024.
“Holding this position in the school throughout the year acted as another subtle reminder of my goal of achieving the highest academic accolade,” she said.
It also led her to great opportunities such as attending the speech competitions for one of the local primary schools, she said, and organising a spelling bee for Waihī College year seven and eights.
But Hayaat said she wore her school blazer with the leader of learning badge visible, which “gave me the push” she needed to begin work on her internal assessments the day she received them, she said.
In her free time, Hayaat said she loved watching TV shows.
“I think at this point I’ve seen most of the shows that are at least somewhat good – always looking for recommendations though.”
Hayaat said she also liked to colour in while she listened to music – “it makes me feel like a kid again”.
Her advice for next year’s year-13 students was to go to every school event and “bring your friends with you – they will be part of your last-ever high school memories”, she said.
“Also, always remember to be yourself.”
Meanwhile, Hamish McKinnon received the Proxime accessit to dux award.
