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Hagley adult graduate receives disability scholarship to excel in health sciences

Mike Fowler —

Former Hagley student Becks Mercer fell in love with Dunedin on her first visit, and had already decided that the University of Otago’s academic reputation and disability support services meant she would like to study there

After receiving a University of Otago Donna-Rose McKay Entrance Scholarship valued at $6,000, Becks was thrilled to be able to pursue her studies down south with the extra financial support.

Named in honour of the former head of Disability Information and Support at Otago, the Donna-Rose McKay Entrance Scholarship supports students who may not otherwise be able to pursue university study due to the financial implications of living with impairments or long-standing illness.

Becks says she had enrolled at Hagley as an adult student with “minimal pass rates” from high school and with help and support from the teachers there, developed the motivation and learning tools she needed to move on to Otago.

After completing a Foundation Year at Otago in 2016, she’s now studying in Health Sciences First Year and plans to eventually major in biomedical sciences – infection and immunity. She wants to become a virologist, and says studying with a disability can make things difficult financially.

“The scholarship really helped take the immense financial pressure off for my first year of Health Sciences in terms of quality of living and extra tuition to suit my learning needs.”

Becks says learning about the human body is a “wonderful thing”, and that the best thing about her first year is having a variety of lecturers and teaching styles.

“The lecturers are all incredibly helpful and strive to push their students toward their ultimate goals."