Student Stories

We welcome diversity at Freyberg High School and have had the pleasure of welcoming students from all over the world. Here are some of their stories:

Thu Nguyen - Vietnam
Peter Kuppe - Germany
Natasha Zheng - China
Baldeep Brar - India
Rosmari Gasland - Norway

Thu Nguyen - Vietnam

Hey guys, my name is Thu and I'm from Vietnam.

It has been a wonderful year for me at Freyberg: great teachers, friendly students and awesome school trips.

I have had many new experiences that made me a better person. I was a student leader at a YMCA holiday camp and got to try some cool kiwi outdoor activities. I also helped the school by being an Open Night guide. It was such an honour, especially when they said I was chosen because of the recommendation from some teachers.

So thank you for everything. I will miss you all. Freyberg rocks!!!

Peter Kuppe - Germany

My time in Freyberg was great; it is an awesome school with a lot of opportunities for all the students. There are groups for nearly every interest group.

I especially enjoyed the rock climbing trip, the caving trip, the hiking trip and the horse riding trip. The classes I took were Photography, Maths, English, Recreation Studies, Graphics and Building Construction. I really liked Woodwork because we don't have that class in Germany.

Palmerston North is a city that is surrounded by beautiful nature, especially the Tararua and Ruahine ranges. I learned about Māori and Japanese culture and it was easy to get along with all the people here.

Natasha Zheng - China

Kia Ora! I'm Natasha from China. I have spent the two most exciting years in New Zealand at Freyberg. I got to know a different culture, made friends from all over the world, learnt English (I couldn't speak any English before I came here) and I gained so many experiences that will be useful for my whole life.

I could talk for days about my experiences here, but starting and organising the"International Buddy Program" at school has had the biggest impact on me. I gained lots of self confidence and skills through working with different people. I learnt to face challenges and look at things from a different point of view. I learnt everyone can make a difference.

Thank you all for giving me this fantastic experience here in New Zealand. It's so hard to say goodbye. I will miss you all XO

Baldeep Brar - India

Hi there, my name is Baldeep and I am from India. I came here last year in August.

I loved being here. The teachers were really helpful because I needed that extra bit of help because of my spoken English. I must say that they were really patient. The students in the classes were also really friendly and they helped me wherever possible especially when I got lost in the corridors.

The best thing about the people in this school was that there was no discrimination. They just made me feel like I was one of them. I also love being in NZ because it's a beautiful country and people are nice. Overall I enjoyed being here and would love to stay here for the rest of my life...I mean in NZ not in Freyberg. :-D

Rosmari Gasland - Norway

My name is Rosmari and I'm from Norway. I've been a student at Freyberg High School for 10 months.

Freyberg is a really nice school with a lot of nice staff and students. In these ten months, I've been involved in different sports activities and I've also been on trips which the school has organised.

Being involved in the activities and going on the trips made it easier to get to know people, many with a lot of the same interests. Some of my best memories from my stay here in New Zealand are the school trips, the trip to the South Island, and the trip with my host family to Australia. My stay down here has been a lot of fun, and I don't regret one second that I chose to be an exchange student in beautiful New Zealand.