It was a great pleasure to recognise the achievement of many of our Year 13 students who gained scholarships for university study in 2024 and to welcome guests from two universities to present awards at our Senior Prizegiving.

We were delighted to recognize Te Puna Wai o Waipapa student Mikayla Gale as a 2023 Gammack Scholar. James Gammack was a Scots settler who emigrated to Aotearoa on the Cressy in 1850 at the age of 19. When he died in 1896, his will directed there to be four annual University Scholarships of fifty pounds each. 127 years later, the James Gammack Trust still awards four scholarships annually to students who intend to study at Lincoln University or the University of Canterbury through a competitive application and interview process. Currently this scholarship is worth $21,000 ($7,000 for each of the first three years the student is at university).

Last year, Massey University College of Humanities and Social Sciences offered Te Puna Wai o Waipapa two awards for student excellence for the first time. We were pleased to welcome Dr Nicola Leete, Institute of Education, to present 2023 awards to Devon Neale for Outstanding Humanities Student Excellence and Sebastian Smith for Outstanding Social Sciences Student Excellence.

Kaylene Sampson represented Catherine Moran, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) in presenting the University of Canterbury scholarships. Kaylene is Director of Student Success at the university and looks after the Te Kakau a Māui enrichment and mentoring programme. The university, as part of its 150th anniversary celebrations, offered 150 Te Kakau a Māui scholarships for each of last and this year (and another 150 for next year) to students attending South Island secondary schools designated decile 1-7. These very generous scholarships offer full fees for a three or a four year bachelor’s degree.

We encouraged our rangatahi to make the most of this amazing opportunity and apply for these scholarships, and have been absolutely delighted for 12 Te Puna Wai o Waipapa students to have been offered Te Kakau a Māui scholarships for study in 2024: Neve Archbold, Slade Clarke, Marlee Clarkson, Tasman Cook, Sophie Dawson, Chloe Hannah-Evans, Sophie McIver, Ellie Morphet, Devon Neale, Luka Parker, Sebastian Smith and Nova Taukamo. Sophie was also offered a Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington School Leaver Totoweka Scholarship and a University of Otago Māori Entrance Scholarship, and Nova was also offered a University of Canterbury Te Kaupeka Oranga (Faculty of Health Māori Scholarship): both have accepted their Te Kakau a Māui offers.

Many thanks to Kaylene Sampson for taking the time and effort to come and be part of our celebration, and sincere gratitude to the University for making the scholarships available.

Rangatahi were also successful in applications for a number of University of Otago scholarships. Rummana Ali was awarded the University of Otago Pacific Peoples’ Entrance Scholarship; Losana Seniyasi, the University of Otago Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship for International Students; Rangimarie Te’evale-Hunt, the University of Otago Māori Entrance Scholarship; and Lily Tonascia, the University of Otago Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship. Lily Tonascia also received the University of Otago Dux Scholarship.

Congratulations and best wishes to all our university scholarship recipients. We are very proud of you and confident that you will contribute as valued members of your new learning community as you have at Te Puna Wai o Waipapa.