Hamilton Girls’ High School has not only garnered 23 scholarships in 2023, but one student was also awarded the Outstanding Scholar Award…

New Zealand Scholarship recognises the top 3% of secondary students in the country; a yard stick by which academic success is measured. According to NZQA, to be awarded the New Zealand Scholarship, “students are expected to show deep understanding of the subject, demonstrate high-level critical thinking and the ability to apply their understanding to complex situations.”

While many sit the exams for the kudos and to get an edge at university, there is a monetary component as well. Each successful Scholarship exam sat yields $500 to the student and, with greater success, comes greater reward in the thousands of dollars.

This year Hamilton Girls’ High School saw 14 ākonga receive 23 Scholarships between them (see the list below). This included three Outstanding Scholarships, which represent only the very top of the top, including Keira Sullivan for Chemistry, Sarah Collins for Biology and Lucy Downing for Painting. Even more excitingly, Keira Sullivan was awarded the Outstanding Scholar Award, which goes to the top 60 students in the country. Keira will receive $5,000 each year for three years (maintaining a 'B' grade average in tertiary studies).

The full awards list is as follows. Tino pai to all of them!

Keira Sullivan (Academic Dux for 2023) Y13

- Biology
- Calculus
- Chemistry (Outstanding)
- Music
- Physics

Marina Aleksic Y13

- Chemistry
- English

Evelyn Anderson-Wharekura Y12

- Calculus

Tyler Brain Y13

- Design

Hillary Clarke Y13

- English

Sarah Collings Y13

- Biology (Outstanding)
- Chemistry

Clarizze Divina Y13

- Design

Lucy Downing Y13

- Design

- Painting (Outstanding)

Maryam Habib Y13

- Biology

- English

Pippa Hall Y13

- Biology

Kennedy Hosking Y13

- Biology

- English

Nisha Moorfield Y12

- English

Najma Noor Y13

- Media Studies

Amity Watson Y13

- Biology

It is worth mentioning that a number of these students also received Scholarships in the 2022 round of Scholarship exams, when they were in Y12. These included Kennedy Hosking in Biology and English, Kiera Sullivan in Chemistry and English, Maryam Habib in English, Eila Posimani-McCay in English and Isabella Shanks in Biology.

Of course, there would be no Scholarship success without the support of dedicated kaiako. A huge mihi goes to the staff who dedicated their own time and expertise to helping our students gain such high academic accolades. Without their hard work, our students would face an uphill battle. The staff involved are as follows:

Kerry Rattray - Biology

Sashi Patel - Chemistry

Paul Mounsey - Physics

Cheryl Dibley - Chemistry

Carmel Sheridan - History

Joanna Dickinson - Music

Greer Sydney - English

Kathleen Christian - English

Anita Chan - Calculus

Brittany Kenny - Media

Josephine Maplesden - Media

Jenniffer Fernyhough - Design

Claudia Avril - Painting

Nellie Wallace-Ward - Photography

Margie Wynne-Jones - Drama

Mohini Singh - Statistics

Sam Speedy - Critical Thinking & Analytical Writing Workshops