Top achievers get helping hand to continue studies

A group of Auckland students have been given First Foundation scholarships, ensuring a debt-free tertiary education, paid work experience and mentoring over four years.

The 26 Year 12 students are all top achievers from low-decile high schools and the award will see them through their final year at secondary high school and their first three years of tertiary study.

Vainga Pahulu, 16, from Tamaki College, was recognised for her intelligence and determination.

She was supported at last night's prizegiving by her mother, father, cousin and aunt.

Vainga said she was overwhelmed to receive the scholarship. She was part of the University of Auckland's Fonotaga mentoring programme this year and said it reinforced her desire to study science and law.

Vainga, one of seven children, will be the first in her family to attend university.

Her strengths are science, history and maths, for which she was top of Year 11 at her school.

Her ultimate goals are to improve the value of education in her family and one day become a member of Parliament.

Aside from academic excellence, Vainga is a foundation member of the school's first Enviro Group, has attended the Make a Difference Forum and has undertaken presentations at assembly and the school's Health Expo.

She also helped to form the first debating team for Tamaki College and was the CEO in the Student Enterprise Learning Link programme.

She represented her college at the Model United Nations Assembly and as a member of the Tongan group at the Polynesian Festival.

Vainga represents Tamaki College in touch, softball and netball.

The general manager of the First Foundation, Anthony Ford, said the scholarship helps students as it recognises the important transition from school to university.

"The funding is really on the pretence of offering these talented kids a hand-up, it's not a cadetship."

Mr Ford said for the students it is not only about the dollar value of the scholarships.

"They come from a background where their peers and family might not have gone through university.

"It gives them a network of people who have been there."

At the end of this year, 229 people will have gone through the scholarship programme.

Schools from Whangarei, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin are involved and it's hoped to make the programme available nationwide in the future.

Partnering organisations such as Telecom and NZ Post provide paid, part-time work experience for their scholars.

Each student is expected to save $1200 a year from their earnings with a further $6000 coming from their employer.

The scholarships were announced on Wednesday.

AUCKLAND RECIPIENTS
Alice Markie, Birkenhead College; Anna Zhang, One Tree Hill College; Arielle Wakelin, Avondale College; FoAtelaite Mapa, Tangaroa College; Bo Yun Moon, Auckland Girls Grammar School; Cheyane Kahukiwa, Onehunga High; Easter Faasoo-Tuilagi, Tangaroa College; Erike Ng, Avondale College; Hanna Beshir, Onehunga High; Inna Schwalger, McAuley High; Jacinta Tauti, Aorere College; Joel Gibson, Kelston Boys; John Belford, De La Salle; Julian Iosia, De La Salle; Karis Knight, Onehunga High; Kopui Sam Papalii, De La Salle; Meetal Patel, Southern Cross Campus; Monica Bhagirath, Otahuhu College; Nazhat Saleem, Kelston Girls; Nicholas Lim, Kelston Boys; Nicole Willis, James Cook High; Pamela Botshiwe, One Tree Hill College; Renee Rowlands, One Tree Hill College; Ricky Ling, Kelston Boys; Troy Shipman, Birkenhead College; Vainga Pahulu, Tamaki College.