Cambridge High School’s head students for 2026 are Erin Bouwer, Ethan Harvey, Anna Crouchman and Blake Williams,
Erin Bouwer will be one of Cambridge High School’s two head girls next year, alongside Anna Crouchman.
“If at the end of 2026 I have made a positive impact on the school or at least one person, that’s the goal,” she said.
Erin Bouwer says challenging herself and learning from others has helped her become a better leader. Photo: Steph Bell-Jenkins
“If I can be remembered as someone who was kind, fair, compassionate, and dedicated or as someone who acts as an inspiration, that would be the greatest reward.”
Erin’s passion for service has entwined with a love of leadership throughout her school career, which began at Blouberg International School in South Africa and continued at Cambridge East, Cambridge Middle and Cambridge High schools following her family’s move to Aotearoa in 2018.
“I am ambitious and love challenging myself to step out of my comfort zone,” she said.
“From my first leadership role at Cambridge East, it cemented my love for stepping up and leading others. Throughout high school, I’ve always pushed myself for that next role, to challenge myself, learn from others, all to become a better leader.”
Erin’s father, Marius, is group supply chain manager for a New Zealand manufacturing company and her mother, Kerry, is an accounts administrator for a large industry regulatory board.
The high-achieving student fills her spare time with a wide range of interests, including performing arts, playing guitar, songwriting, hockey, athletics, and voluntary work.
“I volunteer for youth camps when I can, for Breast Cancer Society Fundraisers, I help at church with serving and reading, and donate blood regularly,” she said.
“I genuinely love helping whoever I can wherever I can, with basically anything you can think of.”
One of Erin’s more off-beat hobbies is scouring documentaries for fun facts no one else knows, “to whip out randomly”.
“It’s so fun,” she said. “I know a bunch of facts that will never come up in conversation, like how an octopus changes colour, but I like that I know it. It makes me feel cool. I have an ever-inquiring mind.”
While at Cambridge High, Erin has been a junior executive member, house captain, Waikato U16 development hockey team co-captain and Finlay Park youth leader.
Several personal philosophies have nurtured her leadership journey: “whatever you start, you finish”, “stay dedicated and you’ll achieve”, “do everything through faith” and “always, always be yourself”.
This year, Erin won Cambridge High School Board prizes for coming top of her year in year 12 geography and sports science.
After finishing school, she hopes to study “anything in the medical field, like a chiropractor or an anaesthesiologist (especially in exotic animals) or an echocardiographer”.
“I’d love any job that allows me to help others who need it and might lead me to be in a position that allows me to do pro-bono work to give back to the community,” she said.
Cambridge High School’s head students for 2026 (from left) Ethan Harvey, Erin Bouwer, Anna Crouchman and Blake Williams. Photo: Steph Bell-Jenkins
