We’re proud to celebrate two Aquinas students whose actions have made a real impact — one through courage, the other through creativity.
Alba Richardson (Year 11)
Alba turned her artistic talents into service, creating a stunning mural for the Kaharoa Kōkako Trust, a local conservation group protecting the endangered kōkako in the Kaharoa Forest between Tauranga and Rotorua.
She painted a beautiful kōkako bird on one of the Trust’s containers and plans to return in summer to add a NZ falcon and long-tailed bat.
Congratulations to both Felix and Alba for exemplifying the Aquinas spirit of service and family!
Felix Carter (Year 12)
While working at a local pool over the holidays, Felix used the first aid skills he learned in his Aquinas Barista course to help save a life.
When a customer suffered a heart attack, Felix immediately stepped up — performing CPR for five minutes until the unconscious man regained a pulse. A doctor on-site then took over until paramedics arrived.
Felix said he assumed the first aid component wouldn’t be the most useful part of the Barista course. “It turns out it was the most important.”
