Changemakers come in all shapes and sizes and Green School is lucky to have a mix of talent and passion in its student body. Here we shine a light on I Gusti Agung Danendra Hazel DK, affectionately known on campus as ‘Hazel’.
Humble champion, passionate changemaker, and a member of our tribe of Middle Schooler’s, Hazel took to the stage in Green School’s beautiful bamboo assembly hall, Sangkep, to share his experience joining and winning an international windsurfing competition.
“I love spending time in the ocean, but my heart is broken to see trash polluting the ocean. I want to use my talent in windsurfing not only to activate water sports prestige but also to advocate for clean oceans. It is home to millions of water creatures and also my favorite place to play with the waves and fight the wind on my surfboard.”
Hazel, Green School Local Scholars Student, Grade 7.
Hazel has already won two international windsurfing competitions in Australia and Singapore in the first quarter of 2018. In January 2018, Hazel joined the 2018 Australian Youth and Oceania Championship in Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, Australia, and sailed into first place, bringing home the gold medal. Hazel went on to win first place at the 37th Singapore Open Windsurfing Championship 2018 at the National Sailing Centre, East Coast, Singapore.
Hazel has been studying at Green School since 2013 under the Local Scholarship Programme. He is one of the current 39 scholar students who study full time at Green School through the generous support of donors from all over the world.
“Our family is very grateful for Green School’s Local Scholarship Programme that allows Hazel to get an international education, which otherwise is unaffordable for our family. I wish I could do more to give back to the community. Our family is very blessed to part of this beautiful community.”
– Wida Kusumaningtiyas, Hazel’s mother
Hazel’s talent has been outstanding in many different sports fields. Back in 2015, he joined the Screen Contest (Optimist), a sailing competition in Bali where he secured the 2nd place. From there, he joined the 2015 National Youth Screen Championship (Optimist A Boys) in Jakarta and brought home the bronze medal.
Besides the water sports, he also loves cycling and basketball. He won a local bike racing competition (BMX and MTB) for all schools (Primary to High School) around the Badung Regency, Bali. Hazel represented Green School and won the 1st place in the BMX Racing Competition in 2016.
Hazel also shines brightly on the basketball court. He actively participates the Green School BSSA (Basketball, Soccer, and Activities) Tournament.
“Hazel is such a brilliant sports boy, and more than that I can see his passion for sports and his persistence and discipline to do better and better each day.”
– Jade McGraw, Green School Sports Teacher
Through training, perseverance and a love for the ocean, Hazel’s winning streak began at a regional level. From winning the second place in a windsurfing competition in Southeast Sulawesi to winning the first place in the Sailing National Championships in Central Java, Indonesia in 2017.
In the same year, he won two regional competitions: the third place in South East Asia Championship in Singapore and Thailand Windsurfing Championship Open.
Hazel’s family is also active members of Green School Community. Green School supports opportunities for parents to get involved and contribute their expertise and experience to our multicultural, multi-generational, community of learners. Hazel’s mother, Wida Kusumaningtiyas, actively volunteers in KemBali, Green School’s recycling center. Together with other parents, Wida has been working to create innovative programs to improve the waste management at Green School and the surrounding villages, towards a zero-waste community.
Hazel’s sports talent and discipline is extraordinary, so too is his commitment to the preservation of our blue planet. Spending so much of his life in the ocean, Hazel is up close and personal with the environmental challenges and was awarded an encouragement award as Clean Oceans Warrior by ROLE (Rivers, Oceans, Lands, Ecology) in Waterman’s Week Bali 2017.
Help us to help more local students to be changemakers now, like Hazel.