Penny Stilgoe-Rooney. Photo supplied.Ashburton teen Penny Stilgoe-Rooney hopes a passion for big machinery will help her see the world.

She is determined to pursue a career as an agricultural contractor when she finishes Ashburton College.

“I live on a lifestyle block and most people laugh when I tell them my career goals,” said the 15-year-old. “But I love big tractors. Being an agricultural contractor is appealing because every day would be different. Plus, I can’t think of a better way to see a bit of the countryside, travel the world and meet new people,” she said.

Penny is a founding member of her school’s active TeenAg club, which is known as Ash Coll Young Farmers.

She was 13-years-old when she became the club’s second chairwoman.

“One of our teachers Hayley Wards – who is a member of Pendarves Young Farmers – got the ball rolling and helped establish the club,” she said. “I have been really fortunate to have been chair for the past two years. It’s given me so many amazing opportunities.”

Penny received the Emerging Leader Award at the Aorangi TeenAg Awards.

“Winning the award was a huge shock. Our region has so many other talented and hard-working TeenAg members,” she said.

Penny takes every chance she can to learn new skills and grow her confidence.

She’s one of 170 students from across New Zealand taking part in a leadership course run by NZ Young Farmers.

The Leadership Pathway Programme is a collection of five learning modules for TeenAg members.

The modules focus on membership, fundraising, sponsorship, events and running a general meeting.

The programme is funded by the Red Meat Profit Partnership, funded by industry groups and the government. It’s been developed to identify emerging leaders and ensure they’re entering career pathways in the primary industries.

“The programme is fantastic. I have picked up so many new skills,” said Penny. “It’s given me ideas on how to grow our club’s membership, organise educational field trips and approach businesses for sponsorship. Those are all really handy skills which I can use in other areas of my life.’’

The leadership programme has been running for a few years, but this is the first year it’s been offered to students online.

“Some of the modules require students to write draft letters or plan pretend events such as fundraisers,” said NZ Young Farmers spokeswoman Mary Holmes.

“One of the most beneficial things is that students gain leadership skills which they can use outside of their clubs.”

Completed modules are marked within a week of being submitted. If a student passes, they can start the next one.

Holmes said students received a leadership badge and a certificate once they had completed the programme and this could go on their CVs.

Ash Coll Young Farmers is the smallest TeenAg club in the Aorangi region, but is holding its own. Club members Harriet Stock and Alex Jones competed at the TeenAg grand final in Invercargill in July.

Last month, Ash Coll Young Farmers toured the Dunsandel factory of dairy processor Synlait and the club also hosted guest speakers and completed two field trips this year.

“Earlier this year we visited the processing facilities of honey producer Midlands Apiaries,” said Penny.

Over the past decade Midlands Apiaries has increased the number of hives it manages from 1200 to 6000. Honey is produced for the domestic and export markets and a strong focus is on the pollination of local crops.

Last summer Penny secured a part-time job on a dairy farm where she got to milk cows and drive tractors.

“I helped with several milkings, fencing, spraying and I even did some heavy rolling with a tractor. I plan to get back out there again these summer holidays. I can’t wait.”

© The Ashburton Guardian - 18 October 2018

Sophie Adams (left) and Ashlee Strawbridge will join Riley Sa and Sammy Arnold will be hoping to nail spots in New Zealand teams this weekend. Photo supplied.Two of Basketball Mid Canterbury’s rising stars are off to Auckland this weekend to vie for selection into national teams.

New Zealand’s top young basketball talent will assemble at Auckland’s Pulman Arena for the Basketball New Zealand under-15 and under-17 national team selection camps and among them would be Ashburton’s Riley Sa and Sophie Adams.

Sa and Adams are both Ashburton College students, while Ashlee Strawbridge and Samantha Arnold – two Ashburton girls now attending school in Christchurch – are also taking part in the camp.

Sa is one of 26 under-15 boys selected, while Adams, Arnold and Strawbridge are among 24 under-17 girls selected.

For the under-15 squad members the camp is the final selection camp for the team that will travel to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea to compete in the FIBA Oceania Championships in December. A team of 12 boys and 12 girls will be selected for the Kiwi teams, and the top two teams at the tournament will qualify for next year’s Under-16 Asian Championships.

For those selected for the under-17 squad this year, the camps are the start of the preparation for next year’s FIBA Oceania Championships which will be held in Noumea, New Caledonia, in August.

The national structured camps focus on player monitoring, support and reporting to help monitor athletes, and to develop the new Basketball New Zealand national style of play.

The new development system consisted of three major annual camps: early February, April school holidays and in October over Labour weekend.

High performance director Leonard King said the camps had a more targeted approach, providing athletes with a competitive and challenging environment that allowed development at the highest level possible.

“In years gone by we had some very good people working with the teams, but collectively it was in an unco-ordinated fashion,” King said.

King said the way the camps were managed now allowed progressive teaching layers from under-13 right through to under-19.It wasn’t only New Zealand coaches that were keeping an eye on the national junior teams, either. Globally, the New Zealand age-group teams were getting more global exposure than ever before with New Zealand’s inclusion in the FIBA Asia Zone.

Recently a number of scouts who attended the Schick Championships in Palmerston North stated that the FIBA Oceania Championships, Asia Championships and World Championships were well-followed by US colleges.

Coach Aaron Fearne, who was now with University of North Carolina Charlotte, was one of those coaches.

“We watch tournaments like the FIBA Under 17 Worlds, the Under 19 Worlds, the Asia Qualifying games for the age-groups, and you get to see [players compete] against the Australian kids. A few of those kids on that team are playing some pretty high-level division one programmes, so you get a bit of a comparison there and see how they go against that type of talent,” Ferne said.

Basketball New Zealand would also be hosting Custom College Recruiting for one of the sessions this weekend, to help explain the US college pathway, should players be interested.

© The Ashburton Guardian - 18 October 2018

Ashburton College. When we hear these two words, its three core values certainly come to mind; achieve quality, show pride, have respect.

These are the three undermining values that our school is based around. Ashburton College, behind open doors is a ladder of opportunity, led upon it by open arms.

Ashburton College, described by us in three words as welcoming, supportive and engaging.

At Ashburton College, there are plenty of various opportunities for students.

All students have equal chances to take part in these opportunities.

As an example, we are two completely different people in terms of our background, culture and interests.

My name is Matthew Clough, I am a very sporty and academic European male.

I am the Deputy Head Boy at Ashburton College this year.

I’m Uati Saofai, I am from Samoa.

My family and I migrated from Samoa almost seven years ago. I am an academic individual who is into performing arts and cultural activities.

I am the Deputy Head Girl at Ashburton College this year.

As you can see, we are two completely different people from different backgrounds and cultures.

It certainly proves that no matter where you come from or how much knowledge you have, there is always an opportunity for you. We may be two different people, but we have both been granted with amazing opportunities at Ashburton College.

Through the open doors at Ashburton College lie an amazing group of supportive people who are dedicated to bring out the best in each student.

There are equal chances for all students to walk through one of the many open doors of opportunities.

“Being a leader never really crossed my mind in the past, simply because I used to be someone that prefers to be in the background.

“As a student of Ashburton College since Year 9, I have gained personal growth and improvements as an individual.

“It has been possible not because of my effort alone, but the amazing support of my teachers and the college.

“Support and encouragements at Ashburton College is incomparable.

“Almost five years ago, I didn’t think I was capable enough to become one of the leaders at Ashburton College, let alone represent the college at any events. I have certainly proved myself wrong.”

Uati Saofai

“I have always loved leadership and have taken a lot of leadership opportunities in the past.

“Through sport and school activities, I have always put my hand up to be a leader.

“Ashburton College is very supportive of all of its students and offers many opportunities.

“These are made available by the college in allowance for students to try many different activities and to step up, including leadership opportunities.

“I believe that if I had not stepped up and taken opportunities in the sporting field, I would have not learnt the qualities of a great leader.

“Ashburton College offered me so many opportunities, but if it wasn’t for the support and encouragement that came with it, I don’t believe I would be in the place that I am now.”

Matthew Clough

© The Ashburton Guardian - 14 October 2018