Meet Student: Grace from Thailand

We talked to Grace Prawatlerdwattana, a year 13 student at Kerikeri High School, who came to New Zealand from Samut Prakarn in Thailand in 2019, about what it is like living in Northland.

What made you choose Northland? 

My twin brother Guide was already studying at Kerikeri High School.  I am from a big city with lots of tall buildings and I wanted to find a quiet place, somewhere fresh.

What do you love most about studying at Kerikeri High School?  

Kerikeri High School is not too big, everyone knows each other and I like the mix of international students.  The teachers are supportive and nice.

What is it like living with a Kiwi host family? 

It feels like home. We eat dinner together every night and talk about our day.  We go camping and recently we have started to learn to surf together.

What are your favourite experiences in Northland? 

There is a lot to do, I like all the sports on offer, I enjoy badminton and inline hockey.

What are your interests, sports and hobbies? 

Art, badminton, inline hockey and surfing

Update on Grace’s plans for 2023

Grace achieved award Excellence across the visual arts level 3 and got a top scholar award at the Kerikeri High School senior prizegiving. She is now sitting Art Design scholarship exams and will start Media Design School in Auckland in semester 2 next year majoring in Animation and 3D Modelling.

Comment from Richard Forstner, Grace’s Art Teacher

“Grace is an absolute joy. She always goes the extra mile and puts 110% into everything. She is very creative and it’s great for other students to experience her approach to creating art.”

Read more about Kerikeri High School