As Nicholas Perano (one of last year’s Deputy Head Prefects) prepares to begin his OE to Ireland, taking up a tutorship at the Royal School of Dungannon, his mum, Penny Perano, reflects on his journey at Dilworth, which started at the Junior Campus in Year 7.
Penny explained that the decision to send her only son Nicholas to Dilworth was driven by a need to find him strong male role models. Living in an all-female household in the Waikato after her husband tragically passed away when Nicholas was young, Penny knew her son needed a different environment.
“The importance of finding strong male role models had been on my radar for a while,” she says.
Initially, Nicholas was reluctant; the move was a significant change, and he was leaving behind his local friends. But Penny, who attended boarding school herself, knew this was the right decision.
The turning point came at the Dilworth Open Day. “I remember really liking the Open Day,” she recalls. “The boys took us around, which was so transparent. I think that if the kids look happy, it tells you an awful lot.”
She said all her high hopes for Dilworth were quickly realised: “They know what works for boys. Nicholas was ‘Happy as Larry’ from the first weekend, playing board games together – they kept them busy for that first weekend.”
Penny said what made her happiest was that Nicholas, who she knew was a bright kid before attending Dilworth, could push himself and no longer worry about it.
“A major thing is that at Dilworth, my son was allowed to dig in and be proud of his academic ability. He stood out where he was before, whereas at Dilworth, pushing yourself is just the norm.”
During his time at the school, Nicholas became Deputy Head Prefect. He took on a wide range of opportunities, including the Spirit of Adventure, field trips, music (drums and violin), and sports such as rugby, athletics, and swimming.
“As a parent, you constantly question your decisions, but I felt so safe with him at Dilworth. They know it is a privilege to have our boys, and they put so much effort into them—consistency, clear boundaries, and goal posts.”
Nicholas has just completed Year 13, and thanks to Dilworth’s unique reciprocal arrangement, he is off to become an international tutor at the Royal School of Dungannon -the school attended by Dilworth’s founder, James Dilworth.
“Nicholas loved his time with the Irish and English tutors who came here,” Penny said. “He’s keen to give back, to have a leadership role himself, and to expand his horizons.”
Her final word: “I’m so grateful for the opportunities created for him.”