Since she was young, Ayla Marshall has been passionate about sport, so studying Physical Education at St Andrew’s College was a natural choice, she says. “I was keen to develop a deeper understanding of how our bodies work when it comes to physical activity. I really enjoyed the variety in the subject, and loved being able to apply what I learnt in theory, to practical situations, not only in class, but in my own sports outside of class.”

She says her Physical Education teacher, Pete Feary, drove her passion for the subject in Year 11, and Head of Middle School, Mikae Tuu’u , was a great support on the way to her achieving an Outstanding New Zealand Scholarship in Physical Education.

Ayla is in her second year at the University of Otago where she is studying towards a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Exercise and Sport Science. “I went into my degree with a good amount of knowledge from studying Physical Education at St Andrew’s, which I could apply to certain sections of my papers at university, giving me a better understanding of what I was learning.”

Post-graduate, Ayla plans to apply to study Physiotherapy, and has aspirations to be a sports physiotherapist for a regional or national sports team.