Dr Andrew Hill was Trident High School’s second student to be awarded Dux after opening the year before Hill started in the third from.  Dr Hill now works in his chosen profession as a surgeon in Auckland after graduating with a MB ChB in 1989. Dr Hill reflects on his time at Trident fondly and indeed it was at school where Science ‘came alive’ for him in Mr Chris Day’s Science class.  It is not only Mr Day that he commends for the strong academic focus, “academically in the early years when I was there, there were a lot of new teachers and it turned out many of them did very well. There was no "dead wood" it seemed and all were interested in the students.  Of note Cliff Edmeades who went on to be Principal of Rutherford High. His love was English and made us work hard at Comprehension and the intricacies of prose. Chris Day who started as a teacher on section at Trident and went on to be Principal at Whakatane HS. He made Science come alive. He also started after school classes in Ruatoki. Also of note was John Dixon who fostered an interest in Maths”.

The strong academic focus saw 2/7 of the 7th Form go into Medicine and 4 A Bursaries from the cohort.  Dr Hill says Medicine is tougher to be accepted into these days but offers a variety of Specialities for vocational from the more procedural in Surgery to the academic in Internal medicine.  Dr Hill has been involved in Surgery, the excitement of Clinical Research, Teaching and Administration. He was lucky to be made an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit ONZM last New Year.

Dr Hill reflects on his time at Trident fondly and says it formed a good base for academic avenues not just in Medicine. “It was also a good family and we all grew top together. I was in the second intake in 1974 so there were just 4th formers above us, which perhaps made it a little less daunting as there was not an age gap. It also showed that a small school, as it was then, could compete academically.  I was a hockey player but occassionally roped in to play rugby too. We played Kawerau one day and won 105 nil. I was centre and never touched the ball. Arthur Stone scored 4-5 tries from second five!” Like many students Dr Hill’s favourite memories are of the lunchtime sports such as “massive games of force back hockey on the area next to the tennis courts” and the daily bus commute for many students from Taneatua to get to school.  

The success that Dr Hill now has is shared with Trident’s Dux each year as he awards a financial prize to students who gain the prestigious Dux award, of which our school and students are grateful benefactors of.  We wish Dr Hill all the best and thank him for his ongoing support.