St Peter’s School
Angus MacGillivray is St Peter’s School’s International Baccalaureate (IB) dux for 2025 and Sinali Kuruppuge has won NCEA dux award.
Angus MacGillivray. PhotoLife
He hopes to head to the University of Melbourne next year to begin a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in physics or chemistry.
Angus has lived in Cambridge his whole life and is a former St Peter’s Catholic School student.
A passionate musician who sings and plays the drums, he has been a performing arts ambassador and drama captain during his time at high school.
He was top of year 13 IB theatre arts this year and also studied mathematics, English, physics, chemistry and Spanish.
Angus advises other students to take a balanced approach to school and life.
“Know what you need to do to achieve your goals and always try your best, but remember that not everything needs to be perfect,” he said.
“And don’t neglect the rest of your life for school. It is important to continue being social, doing what makes you happy, and giving yourself plenty of time off and breaks.”
Sinali Kuruppuge. PhotoLife
After beginning the year at St Peter’s School’s deputy head girl, Sinali Kuruppuge has finished on a high, winning the 2025 NCEA dux award.
An all-round achiever whose interests include dance, debating, public speaking, cricket and social football, she studied English, geography, history, mathematics (statistics and probability), and physical education this year and was top of year 13 theology and philosophy.
She also won the Jenkinson Family Trophy for NCEA Level 3 Overall Excellence in Arts and Humanities.
Sinali was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka and lived in Melbourne as a toddler before moving to New Zealand with her family in 2010. Her father Sameera is a banker, her mother Dr Hiruni Senanayake is a GP, and her younger brother Akain is deputy head boy at Southwell School.
The driven student is hoping to study law in Sydney next year.
“I have always been passionate about using my voice – through public speaking and debating throughout school – to bring about change, develop strong arguments, and support others,” she said.
“Alongside this, I have found that my strengths lie in writing, analysing, and interpreting different sources and perspectives.
“I realised that in any profession, you have the opportunity to serve others, but it was important to me to choose a path where I could do that effectively. Combining my passions and skills, I soon discovered that studying law would give me a platform to drive meaningful change within communities, support those who need it, and advocate for justice.”
And the promixe accessits are…
St Peter’s School’s 2025 NCEA proxime accessit is Aveline Pearson-Riley and Isaac Mueller was named the school’s International Baccalaureate (IB) proxime accessit.
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Aveline Pearson-Riley. PhotoLife
Aveline plans to tackle a conjoint degree at the University of Auckland next year – a Bachelor of Arts majoring in psychology and Bachelor of Laws.
“I’d love to pursue a career that combines psychology and law, potentially something in policy, advocacy, or mental health law,” she said.
“I’m interested in working somewhere that allows me to make meaningful change.”
Aveline was top of NCEA year 13 mathematics (statistics and probability), health studies and history this year, and also studied psychology and biology.
She said volunteering had been a meaningful part of her school life.
While at St Peter’s, she has tutored younger students, visited the Refugee Outreach Centre at St Paul’s, organised a clothes drive for Kids in Need and taken part in the Relay for Life.
“High school taught me that the best thing you can do is stay true to who you are,” she said.
“It’s easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing, but real confidence comes from knowing yourself and following your own path, even when it looks different from others.”
Isaac Mueller thought of his mother, Tracy, who died when he was three years old, when he was named St Peter’s School’s International Baccalaureate (IB) proxime accessit for 2025.
Isaac Mueller. PhotoLife
“I felt satisfied that I did something to make my mum proud,” he said.
“To me it felt better knowing how well I’ve done by my parents rather than any internal gratification.”
Isaac was top of year 13 IB history and environmental systems and societies this year. He also studied English literature, psychology, Japanese and mathematics (analysis and approaches).
During his time at St Peter’s he was a year 8 Thornton prefect, academic ambassador, chapel prefect, Enviro-Club treasurer and a member of the prem debate team.
He recently won a Top Achiever Scholarship from the University of Auckland, where he plans to study law in conjunction with a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Japanese next year.
Isaac said his father had been the biggest contributor to his academic success.
“I’ve always admired his determination in everything he does and he raised me to work hard, be independent, and remain intrinsically motivated,” he said.
“I’ve also seen firsthand the sacrifices he’s made to get me to St Peters, so I don’t think I could do anything but work hard.”
Amelia Rettkowicz – Senior Sportswoman of the Year. PhotoLife
Georgia Davis – Performing Arts Award winner. PhotoLife
