Perfect score no problem for young achiever

By ELIZABETH BINNING

John Chen got 82 per cent when he first sat Bursary maths at the age of 11.

Now the former Auckland Grammar School student has done even better, with the highest mark possible in Bursary maths with calculus.

John, along with 28 other top subject scholars, will receive a $5000 scholarship from the Qualifications Authority, to be spent on whatever the students like.

John has always been a high achiever in maths and was put into streamed classes. That is why he had no problem sitting Bursary in sixth form last year at the age of 15.

"I hardly studied," he said. "When it came to Bursary, it was a lot easier because we had done harder stuff during the year."

He scored 87 per cent in English, 95 per cent in music, 87 per cent in Latin, 89 per cent in physics and 93 per cent in maths with statistics.

The student attributes his success to an early start and positive encouragement from his family.

"My parents started teaching me maths from the age of 2.

"I think the secret is starting young. I think that is what's holding back a lot of New Zealanders these days. They need to start young."

But maths is not John's favourite subject.

He is passionate about music, for which he gained a Bursary scholarship in his fifth-form year.

He is now studying music, along with science, at the University of Auckland.

John plans to use his scholarship money to further his study overseas after he graduates from university.

Another top scholar who plans to do this is 18-year-old Hannah Searle.

Hannah is studying for an arts and law degree at Auckland University and has just been named the top Bursary art history scholar.

Art and language have always interested the former Westlake Girls student so she focused her subjects around them.

"When I was little I spent hours reading. I enjoy words even in other languages," she says.

Hannah began studying art history last year and the subject quickly became her favourite.



"I had never done it until seventh form, but when I just got in there, it was better than history.

"I loved the paintings. You learn so much about countries and buildings through art."

She received 96 per cent for art history - the top possible mark - 89 per cent in history, 94 per cent in Japanese, 81 per cent in Spanish and 93 per cent in English.

Winning the scholarship has made a big financial difference for Hannah.

"Over the years I have sort of missed out on things, so it was great," she said.

"It will make a big difference ... I would have had to get a loan."

One scholar who has not decided what to do with her scholarship money is 17-year-old sculptor Katharine Haddock.

The Long Bay College old girl has sculpted since the sixth form but is not sure if she will take it further.

Katharine's winning work, made from old computer pieces, came out of her love of making things, but she did not expect it to earn her a scholarship.

"I just did what I did. I didn't expect I would get anything for it. All those late nights have paid off."

Katharine is taking a year off study and hopes to travel for a while.

Seventeen-year-old Diocesan School old girl Sara Jackson spent many of her late-night study sessions on the internet, reading French newspapers and listening to French radio online.

Her cyber-studies helped to earn her the title of the country's top French student.

Sara also scored 86 per cent in English, 90 per cent in Spanish, 93 per cent in history and 80 per cent in art history.

She is now studying art and law at the University of Auckland.

TOP SCHOLARS

Top all-round male scholar: Michael Richard Oehley (St Paul's Collegiate School, Hamilton).

Top all-round female scholar: Abigail Marya Fox (King's College, Otahuhu).

Top all-round male Maori scholar: Christopher William Sweetman (Takapuna Grammar School).

Top all-round female Maori scholar: Kate Mary Hudson (St Oran's College, Lower Hutt).

Top all-round male Pacific Island scholar: Stallone Quaver Sini Vaiaoga-Ioasa (Auckland Grammar School).

Top all-round female Pacific Island scholar: Priya Darshni Prasad (Columba College, Dunedin).

Subject winners: Accounting: Mark David Robinson (Westlake Boys' High School, North Shore City); Agriculture and Horticulture: Larissa Rose Hendy (Avondale College, Auckland); Biology: Rekha Ganeshalingam (Diocesan School for Girls, Auckland); Chemistry: Bodhi Gayathri Wimalasena (Westlake Girls' High School, North Shore City); Chinese (second language): Angelina William (Burnside High School, Christchurch); Classical Studies: Rosemary Evelyn Driver (Rangi Ruru Girls' School, Christchurch); Design: Callum Hugh Hart-Woolcock (St Andrew's College, Christchurch); Economics: Carly-Jayne Harker (Wellington Girls' College); English (joint award): Hannah Charlotte Field (Christchurch Girls' High School); English (joint award): Charlotte Davena Anne Leslie (Diocesan School for Girls, Auckland); French (second language): Sara Louise Jackson (Diocesan School for Girls, Auckland); Geography: Nicholas James Letham (St Andrew's College, Christchurch); German (second language): Antonia Carmel McBryde (Sacred Heart College, Lower Hutt); Graphics: Tom Chun Yi Wu (Rangitoto College, North Shore City); History (joint award): Aidan Alexander O'Rourke (Newlands College, Wellington); History (joint award): Christopher Bishop (Hutt International Boys' School, Upper Hutt); History of Art: Hannah Ruth Searle (Westlake Girls' High School, North Shore City); Japanese (second language): In-Ja Lim (Epsom Girls' Grammar School, Auckland); Latin: Howell Lee (Auckland Grammar School); Mathematics with calculus: John Jit-Shern Chen (Auckland Grammar School); Mathematics with statistics: Jacob Elliot Mattingley (St Andrew's College, Christchurch); Music: Sarah Marie McCallum (Westlake Girls' High School, North Shore City); Painting: Natasha Jane Davies (Kristin School, North Shore City); Photography: Renae Flanders (Havelock North High School); Physical Education: Monique Jackson (Sacred Heart Girls' College, Hamilton); Physics: Arul Vijeybharathy Thavarajah (King's College, Otahuhu); Printmaking: Libby Rose Kingscote (Rangi Ruru Girls' School, Christchurch); Sculpture: Katharine Ruth Haddock (Long Bay College, North Shore City); Spanish (second language): Kimberley Stedman (Cashmere High School, Christchurch); Te Reo Rangatira: Hinurewa Ngamuringa Poutu (Mana Tamariki, Palmerston North).

* Note: The awards for English and History are shared by candidates deemed to be of equal merit. No candidate is named for Indonesian as top scholar standard was not reached by any eligible candidates.