High achievers get a hand with expenses

Mezzo-soprano Kayla Collingwood, of Napier, discusses the musical score for Tosca with Mr Litton.

A Hawke's Bay woman researching cancer and another striving for an operatic career offshore are among 28 top Kiwi students to receive funding through Freemasons New Zealand.

Former Havelock North woman Amy Foster is working on the synthesis of a new candidate carbohydrate molecule for the treatment of cancer as part of her master's research at Victoria University. She is captivated by the way human bodies synthesise and metabolise carbohydrate groups responsible for a number of biological processes: "It's certainly very important but still very early - there's a lot of work to be done."

Amy Foster explains her research on anti-cancer therapeutics to Freemasons New Zealand Grand Master John Litton. Photo / Supplied

Her research group in Wellington works with another in Japan - Ms Foster says the "very generous" grant will allow her to visit those collaborators next year. "Hopefully I will go over there and learn from some of their techniques."

She discovered a love of teaching while working as a demonstrator in undergraduate chemistry laboratories. That led to volunteer work with Te Rp whina as a mentor in biology and chemistry, supporting Mori and Pasifika students. Ms Foster is now lead tutor for a second-year organic chemistry course and tutors students at local secondary schools in the capital.

University of Auckland's Kayla Collingwood is destined for a successful operatic career offshore. The mezzo-soprano originally from Onekawa, Napier, is completing her honours in music, following a bachelor of music in performance music and graduate certificate in theatre studies obtained through Waikato University. When her masters is complete and vocal development, language, stagecraft training and repertoire up to standard she will aim for Europe.

Ms Collingwood has an extensive volunteer history - working with youth programmes, social activity and leadership training at the Baptist Church in Hillcrest, Hamilton, as well as performing arts and children's work in Auckland.

She is also trained in classical piano, viola, guitar and is a published poet.

Freemasons awarded $192,000 in scholarships to 28 of the country's high achieving university students at a ceremony at Christchurch's transitional "Cardboard" Cathedral last Saturday.

Eight postgraduates were awarded a total of $72,000 while 20 students selected from AUT, Massey, Victoria, Canterbury, Lincoln, Otago and Auckland universities received $120,000.