Hastings Youth CouncilKaunihera rangatahi

What made you want to join the 2019 Youth Council, what are you passionate about?
I wanted to make a difference for youth by providing a voice for those youth of Hastings who don't get the chance to speak out and make a change for the future. I believe everyone should have their voices and opinions shared no matter their age, ethnicity or background. I am passionate about mental health and water sports so being involved with youth council would allow for voices to be heard.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of the year?
As chairperson this year I look forward to working with such a passionate and provocative group to allow for voices to be heard by working with councillors and change to occur for youth within Hawkes Bay, addressing the issue of mental health and I also look forward to running some super cool events for a range of youth and meeting lots of new people within Hastings.

The superpower I have right now is?
Aqua-woman

The superpower I want is?
Invisibility

What made you want to join the 2019 Youth Council, what are you passionate about?
My goal is to rid the taboo around mental health and raise awareness for it in a more youth involving way. As well as that I want to create more cultural events in Hastings because I’m passionate about music, dance and drama. I want to involve more ethnicities and social groups in the events and make people aware that we are listening and there to help.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of the year?
Ideally, we would have engaged and involved the youth in more activities and gotten rid of the mental health stigma.

In five years I want to be?
Travelling and organising events all around the world to help improve society

The super power I have right now is?
The power of procrastination

The super power I want is?
Telekenisis

What made you want to join the 2019 Youth Council, what are you passionate about?
I wanted to join the 2019 youth council as I want to provide opportunities for young people to be involved in the decision making of topics that concern them; especially topics such as the mental and physical health of our youth and the health of our environment. Also, what is important to me is breaking down the barriers of poverty to ensure that youth always have the opportunity to be involved in extracurricular activities and events.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of the year?
I wish for a greater number of local business to be engaging in environmental practices such as the minimisation of waste, increase in donations of unsold goods, increasing in recycling efforts; and an increase in their efforts of supporting the social wellbeing of our communities.  

In five years I want to be?
Not sure, I am always keeping my options open.

The super power I have right now is?
Strong work ethic.

The super power I want is?
Mind control.

What made you want to join the 2019 Hastings Youth Council, what are you passionate about?
I wanted to join the 2019 Hastings Youth Council to be in a better position to make a difference for Hastings youth. I passionate about helping people become better. I believe people in society are a reflection of how they have been raised. If we raise better youth in Hastings we will be creating better youth in Hastings but also a better future Hastings community as well.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of the year?
As a 2019 Hastings Youth Councillor by the end of the year in Hastings I want to have improved youth mental health, provided more youth friendly environments for youth to excel and have decreased the Hastings Youth NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) population.

In five years I want to be?
Near the end of studying at either the University of Otago or Canterbury within the fields of Bilingual Education, Sport and Recreation or Health. Later on in the future I also hope to come back to Hastings and share what I would have been taught from my profession.

The super power I have right now is?
Honesty

The super power I want is?
Telekinesis

What made you want to join the 2019 Youth Council, what are you passionate about?
I am really passionate about metal health and letting the youth of our community know that they all have a voice. I strongly believe everybody should be allowed to have an opinion no matter what age, gender or ethnicity you are. I am also passionate about Netball and Tennis and believe youth should be involved in activities they enjoy, without barriers such as their capability and money. I hope for all youth to be happy and enthusiastic in our community.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of the year?
I hope to be heavily involved in the Hastings Community with our youth. Be a friendly known face that our youth can approach and voice their opinions to.

In five years I want to be?
At university studying law or something in the medical field.

The super power I have right now is?
The ability to see problems in our young people.

The super power I want is?
Super speed.

What made you want to join the 2019 Youth Council, what are you passionate about?
I’m passionate about mental health and education. I want to grow awareness for mental health in schools and dismantle the stigma associated with getting help. I want the stress and discrimination induced by schools and curricular students to be diminished in order for students to have sound well being. I want the youth voice of the Hastings District to be strong and progressive and for that to happen there needs to be a centralised focus on the youth and their wellbeing.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of the year?
Awareness and acceptance of youth challenges in the Hastings District

In five years I want to be?
In law school

The super power I have right now is?
I’m empathetic

The super power I want is?
Reparations in communities, and reparations for issues the world face.

What made you want to join the 2019 Youth Council, what are you passionate about?
I am passionate about mental health, the environment, providing opportunities for everyone and making Hastings a more supportive and encouraging environment for the youth. I want to make a positive change that will not only benefit the youth of today but will better the future for Hastings. I believe it’s important that everybody’s views and ideas are heard and can be used to benefit society.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of the year?
The creation of safe spaces within the schools and communities to address mental health issues, and assist in removing some of the stigmas around mental health.
Creating a diverse range of opportunities to suit all genders, abilities, religions, sexuality, and passions. Overall creating a more engaged and happier youth of Hastings.

In five years I want to be?
In my last year of uni studying physiotherapy

The super power I have right now is?
Public speaking

The super power I want is?
Invisibility

What made you want to join the 2019 Youth Council, what are you passionate about?
I have a huge passion for all sports, cultures and academics. I love seeing my own peers happy and successful and hope I can play a part in ensuring all our own youth in Hastings can be too.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of the year?
Health and education are two huge parts of my life and this year I would like to work with the Youth Council in making sure our youth are educated, healthy and employed.

In five years I want to be?
To be studying at uni, happy and hopefully not to stressed.

The super power I have right now is?
Super super strength

The super power I want is?
Even more strength

What made you want to join the 2019 Youth Council, what are you passionate about?
I was lucky enough to be a member of the 2018 Youth Council, which enabled me to see the potential and differences I can make through this experience, an am ecstatic about being able to work with a different bunch of people to bring joy and opportunity to the youth of Hastings.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of the year?
I hope that by the end of the year I have contributed towards making at least one youth of Hastings life better, whether this be through providing opportunities to improve mental health, or organising an event that puts a smile on someone's face.

In five years I want to be?
Happy, as well as still learning and constantly gathering a greater understanding of the world and the people throughout it.

The super power I have right now is?
Listening. It's amazing what you learn when you actually listen.

The super power I want is?
The ability to fly - petrol prices are really taking a toll on my pocket these days!

What made you want to join the 2019 Youth Council, what are you passionate about?
I’m interested in providing resources to youth suffering from mental health issues. I’m interested in making sure the voice of youth is heard in a way that can make a difference. This is important to me as it saddens me to know that we have such large issues facing youth in Hastings; I want to change that.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of the year?
I want to have given youths the opportunity to voice their opinions in a public platform. I believe that we can make a real difference to the community if such events take place.

In five years I want to be?
Finishing a degree in Sociology and Criminology from Victoria University in Wellington.

The super power I have right now is?
Caffeine has no effect on me and I can survive off of only 6 hours of sleep

The super power I want is?
Superfast speed (basically the Flash?)

What made you want to join the 2019 Youth Council, what are you passionate about?
I am interested in making a difference in the education of young people. Particularly those who do not have access to education due to many factors such as family, poverty or personal reasons. I want to get young people involved in more education based events and competitions outside school endeavouring to make children more passionate and comfortable with school work rather than seeing it as a burden.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of the year?
To know that we have carried out enough social events for youth in Hastings, and through these events make youth feel supported by Council and community. I would like to see Hastings promoted as a city known for its interaction with young people and involving young people in their wider community.

In five years I want to be?
Be at Med school in Canberra, Melbourne or an American University.

The super power I have right now is?
Coolness

The super power I want is?
More coolness

What made you want to join the 2019 Youth Council, what are you passionate about?
I want to improve the mental health of the youth in our community. I hope to lower the teen suicide rates in Hastings, Hawkes Bay and New Zealand.

In five years I want to be?
I would love to still be involved with youth, working as an early childhood teacher or a social worker

The super power I have right now is?
Flexibly and speed talking

The super power I want is?
To be able to turn everything into money

What made you want to join the 2019 Youth Council, what are you passionate about?
I’m genuinely interested in people! I n the wellbeing and way we interact with each other. I want to improve mental health and helping all students without them having to worry so much about letting the financial side be a barrier to stop them from reaching their goals and dreams. I want to make a difference for youth so they know that no matter who they are, no matter what their backgrounds, race they are capable of anything.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of the year?
Giving youth a voice and getting everyone involved. No more words on paper, start taking action!

In five years I want to be?
I want to be a psychologist

The super power I have right now is?
Starting and finishing assessments the night before

The super power I want is?
Super speed

What made you want to join the 2019 Youth Council, what are you passionate about?
I am really passionate about giving our young youth a voice as well as giving back to our community. I want to make a difference for youth because I believe that our voices need to be heard as this is our future and also the future of Hastings. I really want to bring awareness to cultural groups and mental health. Helping others in our community feel that they belong in society. Also I want everyone in the community to feel comfortable and safe in the environment they are living in.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of the year?
I would love to give back to our wider community because they have been a huge part of my journey as an individual. By doing this I would like to be more involved in the Hastings community on making it a happy and safe place to be in for all youth groups.

In five years I want to be?
I would love to be a fashion designer looking to own my own business in making cultural clothing in a different style. In this journey of mine I would still love to help people in the community in whatever way possible.

The super power I have right now is?
Kindness

The super power I want is?
Teleportation

What made you want to join the 2019 Youth Council, what are you passionate about?
I’m interested to discuss with the Youth Council are mental health and specifically Maori education. Hastings has one of the highest rates of suicide throughout NZ. Unfortunately I have had someone close to me take this sad path, therefore this is an extremely important issue that I am passionate about and wish to bring awareness too. With a Maori ethnic background I see first-hand the struggles we are facing in today’s society including, lack of education, family issues, the list is countless. I want to show them their future possibilities are unlimited if they just work hard enough.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of the year?
Working with my fellow Youth Councillors that our generation, and future ones, are surrounded with safe and healthy environment and where their opportunities are endless and their desires are achievable.

In five years I want to be?
Finished my bachelor’s degree of Forensic Psychology from Victoria or Auckland Uni, for now lol.

The super power I have right now is?
I’m stubborn and persuasive

The super power I want is?
The ability to shapeshift into anything