For Henry Wang (Class of 2020), discovering the right career path wasn’t about having all the answers from the outset. It was about being willing to try things, recognising his strengths, and making the most of the people and opportunities around him.
Now working full-time at NZX as a Software Developer, where he is involved in redeveloping the organisation’s website, he can trace many elements of that journey back to his years at Dilworth.
Joining the School in Year 7, he says Dilworth gave him a strong academic foundation and taught him how to prepare for exams and think carefully about his future academic pathways.
Teachers played an important part in that journey. They recognised his potential, encouraged him to consider Scholarship subjects early and, importantly, were willing to spend additional time helping him learn material beyond the usual curriculum in preparation for Scholarship examinations.
With a natural aptitude for mathematics and physics, he began exploring where those strengths might take him. Engineering and software design emerged as possibilities and, over time, he found himself increasingly drawn towards a future that would allow him to combine creative problem-solving, analytical thinking and technology.
But his Dilworth experience was by no means confined to academics.
He was a member of both the choir and concert band and pursued his interest in music to a high level, completing Scholarship Music on piano in 2020. Looking back, he values the way Dilworth encouraged students to step outside their comfort zones and give different things a go.
It is a philosophy he would encourage current students to embrace too:
“Give everything a try and encourage your friends to do the same. Collectively, what a great environment it creates when everyone is trying their best.”
Turning possibilities into a plan
As he moved beyond Dilworth, the Staples Education Foundation became another important source of guidance.
For a young person making decisions about study, work and the future, knowing what questions to ask, and when to ask them, isn’t always straightforward. Having someone available to turn to for advice and support made a real difference.
Through regular meetings with his mentor, Simon, he had a sounding board for the decisions ahead. Simon provided practical advice, encouraged him to think about the longer term and, through that support, helped him develop a clearer vision of the options available to him and where they might lead.
The Staples Education Foundation also helped Henry secure work experience at Metro Glass during his first year of study, and later with Parallo, where he worked as a developer. These opportunities led to a third, part-time role at Flipview, demonstrating the flow-on impact of that first placement. The experience gave Henry valuable insight into professional working environments and helped him develop a clearer sense of the career he wanted to pursue.
Today, after receiving a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Auckland, that path has taken him to NZX and a full-time career in software development.
His journey is a reminder that finding your direction rarely comes down to one defining moment or decision. More often, it is shaped by a combination of experiences and people: teachers prepared to invest extra time, a mentor who helps you see the possibilities ahead, practical experience in the workplace, and the willingness to keep trying new things.