How a sick day changed Jessie's life

Having a day off sick turned out to be life-changing for Jessie Wong. Two years ago Jessie, then in her final year of a fashion degree at Otago Polytechnic, was at home recovering from a cold when she spotted an ad on Facebook reminding people that it was the last day to apply for an AMP Scholarship.

Jessie, whose dream was to start her own fashion business, had heard about the scholarships and had been meaning to jump online and apply at home. She submitted her application just 10 minutes before the closing deadline.

"It was close, but I got there just in time," recalls Jessie (23). "It was extremely fortuitous and I was lucky enough to receive a $10,000 AMP Scholarship and that made all the difference when it came to me being able to pursue my dream of starting a business."

Jessie, who started sewing when she was 11, used the $10,000 to buy a sewing machine, rent a studio and buy premium leather to make handbags. Her company Yu Mei now produces luxury handbags, handmade with premium deer nappa, and sells its products via 13 stockists throughout the country. She currently has one full-time staff member and is hoping to eventually branch out into international markets, particularly Australia and Asia.

Wellington-based Jessie says if it wasn't for the award, she would have struggled to pursue her dream.

"Without the support from AMP it would have been so much harder. As well as always wanting to work in fashion since I was a kid, I have always wanted to work for myself and have my own business but I knew it wasn't going to be easy. Getting the scholarship gave me an awesome head start."

Every year AMP awards up to $200,000 in scholarships to Kiwis who, like Jessie, just need a helping hand to get started. The insurance company started the programme back in 1998, and since then has provided more than $2 million to help over 180 Kiwis pursue their dreams. Recipients have ranged from those starting a business to representing New Zealand at the Olympics, from researching new ways to improve peoples' quality of life to performing on a world stage.

AMP's Jeff Ruscoe, Chief Customer Officer, says, "There are so many New Zealanders with great ideas, incredible talents and a lot of passion who just need a bit of a hand up - and an AMP Scholarship can make all the difference to them. We see our investment in the programme as a natural extension of the work that we are already doing to help people to own their tomorrow - encouraging them to pursue their dreams as well as helping them to protect their finances with insurances and investments."

Previous recipients include New Zealand's most successful shoe designer Kathryn Wilson, who became one of our fastest-growing fashion brands after receiving a scholarship back in 2002. Scholarships have also been awarded to medical researcher Catherine Yang, who used hers to spend a year at Harvard University gaining specialist skills to assist her research of the life-threatening disease acute pancreatitis, and youth worker Scottie Reeves, who launched a social enterprise café that trains young people to be baristas, helping them to get into the hospitality trade.

In 2012 environmentalist Sam Judd, CEO of Sustainable Coastlines Charitable Trust, put the money he received towards helping educate people on how to reduce waste and protect the environment.

There are National scholarships of up to $10,000 and Regional scholarships of up to $5000 available for New Zealand citizens or permanent residents who are determined to pursue their dreams, whether it's a business idea, community project, education goal or desire to represent New Zealand. A true passion and determination for what they're hoping to achieve is the one characteristic that all the scholarship recipients have in common.

Also available is a $10,000 Study Start Scholarship for a year 12 or 13 student who is aiming to make a positive difference in New Zealand thanks to their field of study or training.

Applicants can also enter the $10,000 AMP People's Choice Scholarship, which is voted in part by members of the public.

Jessie Wong recommends that applicants communicate their vision clearly without overthinking it.

"I would definitely encourage anyone who has a dream to find the courage to apply and take that next step. It's super easy to apply. I would say don't overthink it, just show how genuinely enthusiastic you are for what it is you are trying to do and give it a shot."

ampscholarships.co.nz

Dare to Dream NZ Facebook Group

Follow Jessie Wong's journey