Ōhaeawai’s Grace McDonald wins $10,000 Top Energy scholarship

Ōhaeawai’s Grace McDonald is the latest recipient of Top Energy’s $10,000 Engineering Scholarship.

A love of design, geology, creating models and finding out what makes computers tick made engineering a natural choice for Ōhaeawai’s Grace McDonald.

And that love has seen McDonald named as the latest recipient of Top Energy’s $10,000 Engineering Scholarship.

With the university year about to start, she is headed to the University of Auckland to study for a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) degree. The dedicated and diligent student from Ōhaeawai in the Far North is excited about the future.

University has always been in her sights, a result of accompanying her mother, a school laboratory technician, on many university career trips from a young age, and an inquisitive nature.

Her father encouraged her to apply for the scholarship knowing the financial support would enable her to focus on her studies.

She said the scholarship win is validation that she’s on the right path.

Described as a life-long learner, the Kerikeri High School student is an academic high achiever who consistently showed herself to be an excellent role model for others.

She was a peer support leader and class representative in her final year and was recognised for being the top visual arts student. Despite her academic commitments and a part-time job, she always found time to help in her father’s earthworks business planting trees and levelling sites.

Her work ethic and academic record made her stand out amongst the high calibre of applicants last year.

Top Energy chief executive Russell Shaw was impressed by the talented pool of students in the Far North and encourages them to get their applications in for the next selection round in October 2024.

The scholarship encourages and promotes professional development for Far North students, the Top Energy Scholarship Programme provides a one-off payment of $10,000 for a school leaver wishing to study a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours).

The programme is open to school leavers intending to study at the beginning of the year following application at the universities of Waikato, Auckland or Canterbury, and will cover relevant holiday work where possible.

The student must have a genuine interest and passion to study in the engineering field and continue working in that field upon completion of their studies.

The scholarship is part of a suite of sponsorship initiatives offered by Top Energy for the benefit of the Far North community. These include the Electricity Rescue Helicopter, an essential lifeline for remote rural communities, and the Top Energy Business Development Fund, which offers grants to existing or new businesses which have the potential to grow the economy in the Far North.