What our Scholarship Winners are Doing this Year
Andrew Tang won the Sir Paul Callaghan Eureka! Premier Award in 2016 as a Year 12 student at Scots College delivering his presentation on "Algae as Biofuel". The previous year he was selected as the recipient of the EQC Gold Scholarship, The Beca Silver Scholarship and the MacDiarmid Institute Silver Scholarship (since 2015 students have only been able to apply for one Scholarship) – for his presentation "Use of piezoelectric materials to predict earthquakes".
He graduated from Scots College in 2017 and in the NZQA Scholarship examinations he achieved 12 subject passes which included 6 Outstanding passes and Top Subject Scholar in Economics.
Andrew has enrolled at University of Auckland to commence study on a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Science Conjoint while he awaits the outcome of applications to prestigious universities in the US and the UK. His applications have been accompanied by a reference from the RCW Eureka! Trust. We will update our stakeholders once we know the outcome of his endeavours.
Neakiry Kivi from Samuel Marsden Collegiate was awarded the Sir Paul Callaghan Eureka! Premier Award in 2017 for her presentation Reinventing Solar: the solution is clear.
She performed with distinction in 2016 with her presentation entitled "Probiotics - The Power of Bacteria" for which she was also awarded the Ministry of Health Gold Scholarship.
Neakiry has enrolled at University of Otago this year to study for a BSc in Health Sciences First Year – the foundation course prior to admission to one of the five professional streams of study.
Hana Te Puni, the winner of the Ministry of Education Gold Scholarship for Best Presentation by a Maori student in both 2016 (Holistic Restoration – the way to the future) and 2017 (NZ’s Environmental Hero of the future - The Dung Beetle) still has another year to go at Palmerston North Girls High before she enrols for tertiary study as does Maddison McQueen Davies who won the 2017 Summerset Holdings Gold Scholarship for her presentation entitled “rhSDF-1α - The Miracle Gel”
Ben MacLean from St Patrick’s College Wellington presenting “Two dimensional materials” took out the MacDiarmid Institute Silver Scholarship in 2016 and this year, after a gap year, starts his studies at Victoria University of Wellington on a BA with majors in international relations and development studies.
Jason Su is also enrolled at University of Otago this year to study for a BSc in Health Sciences First Year – along with good friend Neakiry Kivi. Jason was selected as the recipient of the Watson & Son LP Gold Scholarship for his presentation “My Two Scents on Obesity”.
Jason graduated from Scots College with multiple NZQA Scholarship passes
Isaac Rusholme-Cobb winner of the MPI Gold Scholarship in 2017 for his presentation “Gene Drives” has enrolled at Victoria University of Wellington for conjoint Law and Arts degrees following his graduation from Hutt International Boys School.
Joshua Tan, who graduated from Westlake Boys High School in November, is enrolled at University of Auckland where he is studying for a BSc in Computer Science and a BCom in Accounting and Economics. He was awarded the Federated Farmers of NZ (supported by SPS Ltd) Gold Scholarship for his presentation about the latest developments in genetic modification entitled “Making the Cut – CRISPR-Cas9, A Genetic Breakthrough”
Xavier English received both the MoE Gold Scholarship for best presentation by a student of Pasifika descent and the Ministry of Social Development Silver Scholarship (one of only two situations where a student can receive more than one scholarship).
Xavier is enrolled this year at Victoria University of Wellington studying for a BCom in Economics and Information Systems.
Jonathan Chan has already made the news headlines this year as the winner of the Prime Minister’s Future Science Prize following his success in the Sir Paul Callaghan Eureka! Awards where he won the NIWA Gold Scholarship for his presentation The Future of Farming: Restorative Ocean Farming.
Jonathan completed his secondary schooling at Auckland Grammar where he invented a sophisticated, 3D-printed mesh, which emulates a spider web.
The innovation's purpose is collecting fog to provide good-quality drinking water in developing nations that most need it.
Like all the alumni of the Sir Paul Callaghan Eureka! Awards Jonathan, Andrew, Neakiry and the rest of our Scholarship winners demonstrate their readiness to pick up the mantle laid down by the late Sir Paul Callaghan.