Old Boys help Year 11 students find a pathway
09 Dec 2025
Year 11 students are starting to find their pathways with some guidance from Old Boys.
The four-day Finding Your Pathway programme encourages students to consider their post-College plans, inspired by guest speakers and business site visits. This year, many Old Boys have returned to College to share personal pathways.
Take Tim Sellars, son of College Careers Advisor Chris Sellars. The drummer and percussionist lives in Las Vegas and is a full-time member of Cirque du Soleil’s O aquatic and acrobatic extravaganza at the Bellagio.
He has told the boys about his journey to the dream job, from working on cruise ships for two years to playing in musical theatre shows and jazz bands back in Christchurch.
In 2020, Tim and his American wife moved back to the United States where he freelanced in Vegas before getting a foot in the door with Cirque.
“You need to be able to be versatile to make a living,” Tim says. “This career is super tough, you have to work hard, be super-driven, talented, and realistic. Connection and networking in the creative industry are huge.”
Guy Lemon, the Talent Identification and Recruitment Lead for the Crusaders Academy, has highlighted the importance of character, not just natural ability in rugby.
“We want players to bring their whole self,” he says. “When you’re this age, you are still trying to work out who you are and who you want to be.
“We are looking for great rugby players with great characters. No one is perfect but the underlying values are really important.”
James Gough, Executive Director of The Terrace Christchurch, has spoken about leading with vision and shaping communities.
Elected to the Christchurch City Council at age 25, James became the youngest councillor in the city’s history and went on to serve five terms as the ward’s highest-polling representative, helping lead the city through its rebuild years.
“To have a say about the city I love and its direction was a privilege and a pleasure.”
Old Boys Dom Edmond, Louis Gunn, Oliver Hickman, Yo-An Lin, Will Lovell, Angus McKellar, and Angus Mossman – together with representatives from Lincoln University and Ara – have also spoken to the boys.
Chris Sellars says it’s important that the boys hear about other people’s journeys and keep their minds open.
