Bright sparks land uni scholarships

SUCCESS: Wairarapa College Year 13 scholarship winners so far (from left) Cameron Ravenwood, Matt Perry, Bailee Potangaroa, Lucien Burt, Kate Gardiner, Tom Simpson, Tino Atonio-Johnston, Tama Hurihanganui, Aqeeda Singh, Rachel Anderson, Vishwas Singh, Alice Evans. PHOTO/SUZANNE OLIVER

WORKING hard, taking the lead and striving to succeed has reaped rewards for a corps of Year 13 Wairarapa College students.

Teacher Suzanne Oliver said universities and other tertiary providers have begun their annual distribution of scholarships to students planning to continue studies next year.

Included in the group of successful Year 13 students Aqeeda Singh, who was awarded a University of Otago Academic Excellence Scholarship that is presented to students who have demonstrated outstanding academic potential and leadership capabilities.

Aqeeda needed to have achieved an Excellence endorsement in Year 12 and next year plans to study Health Science with an aim to studying medicine, Mrs Oliver said.

Four students have been awarded University of Otago Maori and Pacific Peoples' scholarships including Bailee Potangaroa, who will undertake a bachelor of teaching, Tino Atonio-Johnston, who will study physical education, deputy head boy Tama Hurihanganui, who plans to study health science, as is their fellow student Tom Simpson.

Kate Gardiner, who will study health science, has been awarded a University of Otago Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship, which are given to students who have demonstrated all-round ability and exhibited leadership potential.

Vishwas Singh also received the same scholarship, in addition to a New Frontiers Scholarship for academic excellence. He will study commerce.

Lucien Burt also received a New Frontiers Scholarship from the University of Otago to study commerce and Victoria University has awarded Rachel Anderson a Victoria Excellence Scholarship.

Deputy head girl Alice Evans will travel to Canterbury to begin an arts degree, after being awarded the Leigh and Judith Pownall Scholarship in Music.

Cameron Ravenwood also heads to the South Island to Lincoln University with a Future Leaders Scholarship. He will be also involved with the rugby academy while studying agriculture, business and marketing.

Matt Perry has been offered entry into the officer programme in the New Zealand Army and will head to Waiuoru next year.