Naomi Hinton’s main focus in her school studies was “just doing the best I could”.
It’s what makes her recent accolade a master stroke.
The 18-year-old Thames High School student was “extremely surprised” when she was awarded the schools highest honour of dux for 2025 on October 29 at the schools prizegiving, she told The Profile.
“There are so many incredibly skilled and intelligent people in my year, so I wasn’t expecting my efforts to be recognised in such a huge way with so many others to acknowledge.”
The award winner said she was also happy she achieved first in four out of five of her classes: art, drama, English and psychology.
Naomi also received the Furth cup for Performing Arts – Drama, the Mackwell Ovation Trophy for outstanding contribution to Performing Arts and the Business One Trophy for outstanding dedication & commitment in art.
“So getting trophies and dux made prizegiving such a night to remember,” she said.
It felt like an achievement for her current self in the moment, she said – “and for the little kid I was, who always tried so hard to do well in school”.
As part of her dux award, Naomi said she gratefully received the Pak’n’Save tertiary study award of $800.
“That money will go towards buying the necessary things I need to study at university.
“I hope that my achievement of dux will improve my chances in getting into the university I choose and getting scholarships to assist my future studies,” she said.
The academic and arts student said she planned to have a gap year and then continue her psychology and art studies.
“During this gap year I’m going to put some of my paintings up for sale and open commissions, as well as getting work experience and doing some extra courses online.” Something significant that marked the prizegiving was when students and peers of Naomi performed a haka for her.
“Receiving a haka was the biggest honour I could’ve asked for. The energy within haka is enough to make me tear up without fail every time I see one, and then having one performed for me? It’s something I will remember and hold closely for a very long time,” she said.
“Thank you to Whaea Rawinia and the Thames High School kapa haka group for organising that.”
The high achiever didn’t get to this place without any hurdles.
“I have two chronic illnesses that affect every part of my life, including school. I’ve had a couple of years to work with this diagnosis, but I will always run into problems,” she said.
Naomi lives with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and fibromyalgia.
“The main symptoms from these illnesses that affect my school life are fatigue, pain, dizziness and brain fog, but there are a lot of other symptoms too,” she said. “I have to be fair to myself and be proud of each achievement, big or small, that I’ve made this year despite the challenge.”
The support and encouragement from friends and family was something the dux winner said she was grateful for.
Naomi’s hope was that people would remember her as a creative person who always aimed to improve, she said.
“[I hope] that it’ll inspire people to keep making a change and express themselves freely, in whatever way seems fit.”
Meanwhile, Pallary Rous received the Proxime Accessit to dux award.
