Hillcrest High School has always prided itself on being a place where both students and staff “find their place.” For former staff member Karllie Clifton, Hillcrest was not just the beginning of her teaching career, but the foundation for a life dedicated to education, leadership, and adventure.
Karllie joined Hillcrest in 2003 as a beginning teacher of Digital Technology and remained part of the Hillcrest whānau until 2015. During her 13 years at the kura, she held a wide range of roles, Dean, Assistant Dean, volleyball coach, senior council leader, TIC of the school ball, and champion of Māori achievement. She was also instrumental in reviving the Year 9 noho at Tauwhare Marae in 2011, an experience that continues to be a cornerstone of Hillcrest life today.
When reflecting on her time at Hillcrest, Karllie highlights the school’s diversity as one of its greatest strengths. Coming from the Bay of Plenty, where her schooling had been largely bicultural, she recalls being struck by the vibrant mix of cultures at Hillcrest, a feature that she grew to deeply love and celebrate.
Among her fondest memories are the countless trips and adventures she threw herself into, whether caving with colleagues in Waitomo, taking Spanish students to Argentina, or coaching volleyball teams late into the night. These moments, she says, were about more than just events; they were opportunities to build lifelong connections and help rangatahi grow into leaders.
As a Dean, Karllie found her true calling in supporting students. “Building positive connections and relationships allowed me to support, guide and encourage them on their journey through adolescence,” she says. Her passion for te ao Māori and commitment to manaakitanga were central to her role, leaving a lasting impact on students and colleagues alike.
Karllie is quick to acknowledge the people who shaped her during her years at Hillcrest, mentors like Jenny Baker and Sue Radford, the Dean team, and colleagues such as Hans Uivel and Colleen McIlroy who influenced her love of the outdoors and volleyball coaching. She also treasures the lessons she learned from Hillcrest’s support staff, counsellors, and students, who she says taught her the importance of patience, kindness, and listening.
Since leaving Hillcrest, Karllie’s life has been nothing short of adventurous. She sold up and travelled the world, worked in a variety of educational roles, completed a Master of Education, and in October 2024 stepped into her current role as Principal of Okiwi School on Aotea Great Barrier Island. It was on her very first Hillcrest trip to the island in 2010 that she fell in love with Aotea, making her return there as a principal a full-circle moment.
Karllie remains connected to Hillcrest, often catching up with former colleagues and students in New Zealand and abroad. Reflecting back, she says, “I am forever grateful for the years I spent at Hillcrest, especially the people I met and got to know along the way. I was very fortunate to start my teaching career in such a wonderful kura, which is the reason I stayed for so long.”
