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Home , Brooke Neal, Caleb Shepherd, Helena Gasson, Melville High School, Nicole van der Kaay, Otorohanga College

Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship Newsletter Inspiring excellence, all-round development and leadership March 2014

Uni snowboarder From the Vice-Chancellor makes history It is my pleasure to welcome new and returning Sir Edmund Hillary scholars to the University of for 2014. University of Waikato Sir Edmund This year is a very not have been possible without the generous Hillary scholar Natalie Good won special year for the sponsorship from the Compass Group – I thank New Zealand’s first gold medal at University as we mark them for their continuous support. the Trentino 2013 World Winter our first 50 years of This year, the University continues to develop Universiade. teaching and research excellence. As such, strong ties in the area of high-performance Judges awarded Natalie a score of 81.25 we will be hosting sport. The University is the Tertiary Education in the snowboard slopestyle event which a number of events Partner of the Home of Cycling Charitable secured her the gold ahead of two Swiss on campus during the year to involve our staff, Trust. We also have tertiary naming rights snowboarders who took silver and bronze. students, alumni and local community. for the National Cycling Centre of Excellence Natalie was part of the seven-strong (Avantidrome) complex near Cambridge, which New Zealand team competing at the It’s pleasing to see so many new Hillary scholars was completed late last year, and will be Universiade in Italy in December. joining us this year. We are continually hearing officially opened in April. about the success of our former and current “I was very proud to wear black and scholars. At the end of last year, scholar and The Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship programme bring home a medal for New Zealand,” snowboarder Natalie Good won New Zealand’s is one of the most prestigious on offer at our says the 23-year-old. “It was an first gold medal at the 2013 World Winter University. With the continued help and support awesome feeling to be the first Kiwi to Universiade in Italy. from our sponsors, Calder & Lawson Orbit medal at these games, and gold is my Corporate Travel, Compass Group and U Leisure, favourite colour!” Natalie, along with current and former Hillary we can continue our success in creating strong scholars Luke Coxhead, Steven Rae and Sharee leaders as part of the legacy of Sir Edmund Slopestyle was a new event in this Hamilton, have recently returned from Nepal as Hillary. We are equally grateful to our various year's Winter Olympics in Sochi. Natalie part of the Step Higher Award. sports partners and arts advisers who provide hopes to qualify for the 2018 Winter our students with the skills and expertise to Olympics in Korea and will be following The Step Higher Award provides recipients with excel in their disciplines. the competition circuit for the next the opportunity to travel to Nepal, work with four years. the local communities and see first-hand the Professor Roy Crawford “I have a great team of supporters behind work that Sir Ed started. This opportunity would Vice-Chancellor me, and I plan to train hard with the ultimate goal being to compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics,” she says. Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship programme

Natalie was also one of four Step Higher WHO CAN APPLY? Scholar assistance contact: Award recipients to head to Nepal's »» Students who excel academically and in Greg O’Carroll – High Performance Khumbu Valley in February this year. sports or creative and performing arts Student Manager »» School leavers Email: [email protected] »» Current tertiary students Phone: 07 838 4264 »» Students intending to study at the University of Waikato at either the All other enquiries contact: Hamilton or Tauranga campus. Nicola Clayden – Hillary Programme Manager WHAT DO YOU RECEIVE? Email: [email protected] »» Full domestic fees scholarship for study at Phone: 07 858 5139 Waikato University »» Personalised academic support Scholarship applications: NEW ZEALAND FIRST: Cambridge’s Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship programme, Natalie Good with her gold medal from the »» Leading coaches/tutors or skills development support in your specialist sport/art Scholarships Office Trentino 2013 World Winter Universiade. »» A Leadership and Personal Development Plan The University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, »» Free gym membership and physical Hamilton, New Zealand conditioning and more. Phone: 07 858 5195 Toll Free: 0800 WAIKATO www.waikato.ac.nz/scholarships Proudly sponsored by Hillary Scholarship Applications close on Follow us on facebook 1 October each year. Application forms available www.facebook.com/ via www.waikato.ac.nz/hillary HillaryScholarsWaikatoUniversity Musical prodigy studies Bachelor of Music at Waikato New Hillary scholar Matthias Balzat is one of a kind. Not only is he recognised as a top New Zealand cellist for his age, he is also one of the youngest students to enrol at Waikato. The 14-year-old former Wentworth College student started playing the cello when he was three years old, and 11 years on he has already snagged top spot in national and international competitions.

“I won first prize in the National Chamber Music Competition in 2013 with trio Sollertinsky, and first prize in the American Protégé Competition. I also won third prize in the Tauranga Concerto Competition.”

He is one of the youngest Hillary scholars to be accepted into the programme after cellist and former scholar Santiago Ca ñón Valencia, who also became a scholar at 14.

Matthias comes from a strong musical family with both parents, Viv and Uwe, being avid musicians and with his six siblings, they comprise the family band The Balzats. They’ve performed at a number of concerts and festivals around the country including a performance on TVNZ’s show Good Morning.

His sister Brigitte Balzat, who is a current student at Waikato University, has also been awarded a Hillary Scholarship this year. Her discipline is the violin and she is now in her second year of a Bachelor of Music.

Matthias recently competed in the National Concerto Competition along with fellow Hillary scholar and clarinet player Nathaniel Smorti. Previous Hillary scholars to have competed are pianist Andrew Leathwick and cellists Santiago Cañón Valencia and Edward King, all of whom won first prize.

Matthias is studying a Bachelor of Music, and says being a part of the Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship programme is an opportunity that will not only foster his musical talents, but will help him grow as a leader and community advocate. YOUNG TALENT: New Hillary scholar Matthias Balzat is one of the “I’m very grateful for being given this opportunity and I’m really looking youngest scholars to attend Waikato University. forward to the year ahead.”

Hillary scholars embark on a journey of a lifetime Mid-last year, four Hillary scholars were awarded the Step Higher Award – an opportunity to spend three weeks in Nepal to see first-hand the community projects started by Sir Edmund Hillary.

Luke Coxhead, Natalie Good, Sharee Hamilton “The hardest part of the trip was brushing and Steven Rae headed to Nepal in February this my teeth,” says Luke. “Both my toothpaste year to see some of the initiatives Sir Ed started in and toothbrush would freeze over, then I’d be TAKING IN THE VIEW: The group stand Nepalese communities, and brave the elements of on top of Namche Bazaar at the an enduring trek through the Khumbu Valley. brushing my teeth with icy toothpaste that would Everest lookout. eventually defrost in my mouth.” The flight to Nepal was in total darkness and included a stop-over in Hong Kong. Their first Despite the extreme temperatures, it was an glimpse of daylight wasn’t till they had reached incredible experience. Steven says it’s difficult to the mountains of Nepal. sum the whole trip up, but it was something he’ll “When we reached Lukla Airport we immediately never forget. got hit with the cold temperature and everywhere “It’s just one of those experiences where being in you looked you could see mountains,” says Steven. another part of the world gives you an alternate “Throughout the whole trip, every corner we view of other people’s lives. turned or every view we encountered was a ‘wow’ moment.” “It was great to be have experienced this with IN MEMORY OF SIR ED: (L-R) Luke the other Hillary scholars, and I want to say a big It was a battle of the elements for the group as Coxhead, fellow Hillary scholar Adam thank you to Compass Group for sponsoring us. they endured high altitudes of 4,800m above sea Burn, Sharee Hamilton and Steven Rae The Hillary scholars are continually raising money stand next to the Sir Edmund Hillary level, four to six hours of trekking every day, and monument outside Khumjung School. extremely cold temperatures. Simple day to day for the Himalayan Trust, so it was great to see acts became complicated. what that money goes towards.” Hillary Medal recipients announced Lucas de Jong A badminton player and a pianist are the latest University of Waikato students to reporting for BBC receive Sir Edmund Hillary medals. The prestigious medals are awarded to the top graduating Waikato University Hillary scholars who achieve at the highest level World in UK academically and in their chosen sport or performing arts and have also demonstrated Former Hillary scholar Lucas de Jong exceptional leadership while on the programme. is a born story-teller. He has carved The 2013 recipients are badminton player out a successful career as a television Michael Fowke and pianist Andrew Leathwick. reporter, telling some of the world’s In 2010 Andrew began studying piano under biggest stories – which he does now Katherine Austin at the University of Waikato as a broadcast journalist for BBC and he has now completed his BMus(Hons). World News. In 2013, in his honours year, Andrew won first prize in the 46th National Concerto It was his talent for public speaking (he was Competition, where he also won the audience HILLARY MEDAL RECIPIENTS: runner-up in the Lions Young Speechmaker of choice award and junior jury prize. Andrew Andrew Leathwick and Michael Fowke. New Zealand competition in 2005) that secured also has a passion for composing. In 2012, Lucas a place at the University of Waikato as a he was the winner of the acoustic section He’s excited by the opportunity he now Sir Edmund Hillary scholar. and performance award at the University of has to work almost anywhere in the world Waikato Lilburn Trust Composition Awards. thanks to his BE(Hons) degree, specialising He says he "looked everywhere" before deciding He also won the Creative and Performing in software. on a Bachelor of Communication Studies at Arts Person of the Year Award at the 2013 Waikato. "The flexibility of studying and the Wallace Corporation University of Waikato “By the end of school [Hillcrest High School] BCS itself really sold me on Waikato," he says. I was sure that I wanted to do a software- Blues Awards. "I was able to study across communication, related degree but I also enjoyed sciences, media studies and even social sciences." He intends remaining in New Zealand to study so software engineering stood out. It's a towards his masters before continuing his field that fits well with the travel required Lucas spent over a year as a producer and for badminton. There are plenty of job studies overseas. reporter on TV1's Breakfast programme, later opportunities worldwide and you tend to be basing himself in the capital as Breakfast's “Though I don't know exactly where I will go, at able to take your work with you if travelling the moment Germany seems likely,” he says. for tournaments,” he says. Wellington reporter.

Andrew says the Hillary programme has His time on the Hillary programme has been Initially a freelancer for BBC World, Lucas is provided “great support” to his studies. a “huge factor” in being able to continue with now based in London covering news and events high performance badminton and full time as part of BBC's 24-hour news coverage. “Perhaps one of the biggest things I've study, he says. found it has helped me with is developing a consciousness about my goals and what “The inspirational speakers and other support I'm trying to achieve, and provided support we were provided with all helped us to focus in helping achieve these goals. The support on what we really wanted to achieve in our of the high performance student manager has time at uni and beyond. Right from the start also been fantastic.” it was great to meet lots of like-minded people and this continued throughout Michael, who is currently based in the the programme.” Netherlands, working for a Dutch company In 2013 Michael became the New Zealand and playing badminton for the Amersfoort Men’s Singles Champion. He aims to continue Club in the Dutch League – says his job came to represent New Zealand and to compete at STORYTELLER: Lucas de Jong, originally about from a summer research scholarship the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. from Opotiki, has landed a job as a broadcast during his studies at Waikato. journalist for BBC World in London.

RAISING THE BAR: Reaching high for success New Hillary “My PE teacher was a professional athlete in the rush that comes from lifting a weight you haven’t scholar discipline of pole vault and had a fair amount of Rachel Curran lifted before. performs the involvement with the high performance coaches clean and jerk at at The Millennium Institute of Sport and Health. “It’s difficult maintaining motivation when the Secondary She suggested to my parents that I would be your body is sore and there has been little School suited to weightlifting and put them in contact notable improvement. It’s a little frustrating Nationals. with weightlifting coaches at the institute.” until you see the results in competition which just motivates me to train harder for the Rachel has competed in a number of next competition.” Gone are the days where lifting weights competitions, and is currently the North Island was seen as a ‘guy thing’. Rachel Curran, champion and the Secondary School national Rachel is studying science at Waikato a competitive weightlifter, is already a champion in her weight division. University, with a long term goal of becoming a champion after having spent less than She says the challenging thing about the sport paediatrician. In terms of her sport, she has her two years in the sport. is not beating others, but beating herself and sights set on big things. staying motivated when the going gets tough. The former Birkenhead College student became “I hope to represent New Zealand in various involved in weightlifting through her PE teacher “Weightlifting is a very individual sport. I love Trans-Tasman clashes in Australia and also at high school. the sense of achievement and the adrenaline qualify for the .” 2014 Sir Edmund Hillary Scholars 2014 Sir Edmund Hillary Scholars continued

Sport(s) or Creative/ Name Sport(s) or Creative/ Secondary School Degree(s) Name Performing Art(s) Secondary School Degree(s) Performing Art(s) Jack Arnall Cricket Lindisfarne College BSpLS Lauren Grout Music Gisborne Girls’ High School MMus Brigitte Balzat Music Westlake Girls’ High School BMus Jessica Haldane Lacrosse Hamilton Girls’ High School BSpLS Matthias Karl Balzat Music Wentworth College BMus Gage Hall Graphic Design Hamilton Boys’ High School BCGD Michaela Barker Graphic Design for Girls BCS Megan Harrop Dance Hamilton Girls’ High School BTchg(Primary) Alexander Bardoul Hamilton Boys’ High School BMS Scott Hilliar Athletics St Paul’s Collegiate School BSpLS Stephanie Holcroft Triathlon Hillcrest High School BSpLS Andrew Bell Music Burnside High School BSc Simmon Howe Netball Opotiki College BSpLS Che Bunce Football Hamilton Boys’ High School LLB Jessica Howse Kickboxing Cambridge High School BMS Caleb Coffey Theatre St John’s College, Hamilton BA/BBA(Fin) Aperahama Hurihanganui Waka Ama Rotorua Boys’ High School BA/LLB Rachel Curran Weightlifting Birkenhead College BSc(Tech) Ben Hyde Cricket Whangarei Boys’ High School BBA(Fin) Madison Farrant Bike Waikato Diocesan School for Girls BSc Keith Inglis Sailing Taupo-nui-a-Tia College BBA(Fin) Hannah Fielding Basketball Waikato Diocesan for Girls BMS/LLB Kane Jacobson Rugby Hamilton Boys’ High School BMS Molly Florence Athletics John Paul College BSpLS Kylie Jens Football St Peter’s School, Cambridge BSocSc/LLB Sam Franicevic Creative Technologies Hamilton Boys’ High School BMS Aaron Keppler Basketball St Paul’s Collegiate School BMS Cian Gardner Theatre BTchg/BA Kate Kernaghan Hockey St Hilda’s Collegiate School BSpLS(Hons) Conor Gyde Athletics St John’s College BMS/BSc Charlotte Ketel Music Tauranga Girls’ College BMus(Hons) James Hammond Canoe Slalom William Colenso College BSc Brooke Kirkbride Cricket Cambridge High School BMS Vinny Harris Badminton/Softball Hamilton Boys’ High School LLB Shaun Kirkham *PM Rowing Hamilton Boys’ High School BCS Megan Hull Hockey Wairarapa College BCS Catherine Kwak Music Villa Maria College BMus Denzel Ieremia Golf Hamilton Boys’ High School BMS Andrew Leathwick *HM Music Hillcrest High School MMus Ashton Ledger Screen and Media Studies Rotorua Boys’ High School BA Mitchell Jacobson Rugby Cambridge High School BSc Susannah Leydon-Davis Badminton Hillcrest High School BMS Kaharau Keogh Maori Creative and Performing Art Nga Taiatea Wharekura BMus Felicity Leydon-Davis Badminton/Cricket Hillcrest High School BSc Tupuria King Waka Ama Kaitaia College BSpLS Jessica MacAskill Table Tennis James Hargest College PhD Christopher Lord Wood Chopping Otorohonga College BE(Hons) Paul Maguire Wakeboarding Trident High School BCGD Niamh Lovelock Music Campion College BMus Hannah Martin Dance Mount Maunganui College BMS Sam Lucas Music Nambour Christian College (AUS) BMus Ngaruaroha Martin Music Home Schooled BMus(Hons) Anna Mahon Music Tauranga Girls’ College BMus Linda Matthews *PM Rowing Wellington Girl’s College BE(Hons) Mungo Mason Rugby Tauranga Boys’ College LLB Jeremy Mayall *HM Music Hamilton Boys’ High School PhD Jacinta Matson Squash Whangarei Girls’ High School BSpLS Ellie McCleery Athletics Waikato Diocesan School for Girls BSc/LLB Conor Maxwell Theatre St John’s College, Hamilton BTchg/BA Sarah McLaughlin *PM Football Fraser High School BSpLS Damian McKenzie Rugby Christ’s College BCS Jonathan Merchant Tennis St Peter’s School, Cambridge BMS/LLB Atunaisa Moli Rugby Marlborough Boys’ College BSpLS Hamiora Mihaka Rugby League St Paul’s College, Auckland BE(Hons) Grace Namana Netball St Paul’s Collegiate School LLB Cory Miles Boxing/Waka Ama St John’s College, Hamilton BSpLS Paul Newton-Jackson Music St Paul’s Collegiate School BE(Hons)/BMus Zachary Millar Squash Paraparaumu College BMS Emma Millar Squash Paraparaumu College BMS/BSpLS Te Tira o te Rangi Nikora Maori Creative and Performing Art Gisborne Girls’ High School LLB Tamsin Moala Netball Waitara High School BMS Vincent Owen Graphic Design Hillcrest High School BCGD Lachlan Musgrave Hockey Tauranga Boys’ College BMS Emily Patterson Netball Upper Hutt College BSocSc Hockey Whangarei Girls’ High School BCS Karina Radley Surf Life Saving Bethlehem College BSc(Tech) Shannon O’Donnell Watersking Rotorua Girls’ High School BSpLS(Hons) Melita Raravula Swimming Pompallier Catholic College BSc Graham Oberlin-Brown Rowing College BMS Samantha Rowe Dance Te Puke High School BTchg/BA *PM Leanna Ryan Athletics Roncalli College BSocSc Leah Parkinson Dance Mount Maunganui College BSocSc Callum Saunders Bike Marlborough Boys’ College BMS Samantha Perry Graphic Design College BCGD *PM Rowing Hamilton Boys’ High School BA Shaunna Polley Volleyball Fraser High School BSc Sam Shergold Surf Life Saving Tauranga Boys’ College BMS Caitlin Preston Basketball New Plymouth Girls’ High School BMS(Hons) Samantha Sinclair *PM Netball John Paul College BMS Beverley Pullon Music DMA Steven Rae *HM *SHA Cricket Tauranga Boys’ College MMS Ryan Thompson Motocross Te Awamutu College BBA(Fin) Mariah Ririnui Athletics Tauranga Girls’ College MMS Rachel Twyman Music Diocesan School for Girls (Auck) BMus Nikita Roberts Netball New Plymouth Girls’ High School BTchg Triathlon Taupo-nui-a-Tia College BSc Cosette Saville Orienteering Pukekohe High School BEP Stacey Waaka Rugby Whakatane High School BSpLS Hannah Seifert Golf St Peter’s School, Cambridge BSpLS/LLB Matthew Wallbank Cricket Hamilton Boys’ High School BMS Angela Simpson Orienteering Rotorua Lakes High School MSc Josef Winders Bike Verdon College BSc(Tech) Tendai Sithole Theatre John Paul College BA/LLB Sarah Young Equestrian Forest View High School BMS Cho Ki Jacky Siu Music Westlake Boys’ High School BMus Monique Smith Bike Campion College BSocSc Returning 2014 Sir Edmund Hillary Scholars Nathaniel Smorti Music Lake Taupo Christian School MMus Kate Southee Hockey Glenfield College BSpLS Sport(s) or Creative/ Jennifer Spark Music St Paul’s Collegiate School MMus Name Performing Art(s) Secondary School Degree(s) Kendall Spence Theatre Hauraki Plains College BA Phillip ‘Akau Music Dilworth School BMus Sacred Heart Girls’ College, Casey Stevens Surf Life Saving BSpLS(Hons) Alexander Arai-Swale Music Hillcrest High School BMus New Plymouth *PM Rowing Tauranga Girls’ College BSc Craig Armstrong *HM Hockey Waiuku College PhD Timothy Stewart Athletics Paraparaumu College BMS Matthew Arnott Canoe Slalom Dunstan High School BGCD Cassandra Storey Spring Board Diving Sacred Heart Girls’ College, Hamilton BMS / LLB BSocSc/ Kristie Ballie *PM Athletics BSocSc(Hons) Philippa Sutton Bike Waikato Diocesan School for Girls BSpLS Adam Burn Rugby Hamilton Boys’ High School BBA(Fin) Shiray Tane *PM Rugby Hamilton Girls’ High School BSpLS Kate Carlton Football Tauranga Girls’ College BSpLS Jorja Tarrant Squash Waikato Diocesan School for Girls BSpLS Amy Christophers Netball Otumoetai College MSc Tiaan Taylor Netball Waitara High School BSpLS Thomas Clout Cricket Tauranga Boys’ College BMS/LLB Tyrone Te Ruruku Rugby Wesley College BSc James Comer Basketball Cambridge High School BMS Maori Creative and Rikki Tamatea Terekia Performing Art Gisborne Boys’ High School BA Samuel Cooper Cricket St John’s College, Hamilton BMS Anjali Thakker Inline Hockey/Ice Hockey Hillcrest High School BSc Dolan Cox Music Whakatane High School BMus Alanah Thwaites Volleyball Tauranga Girls’ College BSc(Tech) Jules Craft Surfing Gisborne Boys’ High School BCS Jeremy Tomkins Theatre Tauranga Boys’ College BTchg /BA June Dams Music Tauranga Girls’ College DMA Tidavadee Tongdethsri Golf Sacred Heart Girls’ College, MA Sally Davenport Netball Bethlehem College BMS Hamilton Jessamy Topping Graphic Design Waiopehu College BCGD Lewis Dean Comedy Pukekohe High School BSc James Tucker Rugby St Bede’s College BCS David Dela Rue Squash Hamilton Boys’ High School BMS/LLB Hannah West Screen and Media Hillcrest High School BMCT Ryan Dingle Triathlon Spotswood College BSc Naomi Whalley Graphic Design Hillcrest High School BCGD Matthew Dunham Rowing St Peter’s School, Cambridge BMS Sacred Heart Girls’ College, Blaire White Music BMus Caitlin Easter *SHA Netball Cambridge High School PGDipPsych(Clin) Hamilton Jonathan Eyers Music St Paul’s Collegiate School BMus Kayla Wilson Hockey Hillcrest High School GradDip Natalie Foster Theatre BA/LLB Shelby Wilson Swimming Waikato Diocesan School for Girls BSpLS Maori Creative and Daniel Franks *PM Bike Cashmere High School BMCT Nakita Wiperi Performing Art Melville High School BMS Bjarne Frederiksen Motocross Wairarapa College BECom Mikayla Woods Equestrian St Peter’s School, Cambridge BEP Sarah Fuhrer Paralympic Sport (Swimming) Campion College LLB Zachery Woods Hockey Hamilton Boys’ High School BSc Philip James Garrity Theatre Hillcrest High School BA Louis Wright Bike BMS Joshua Gascoigne Rugby Cambridge High School BSpLS Swimming Hauraki Plains College BSpLS Ben Good Karate Cambridge High School BMS Correct as at 19 February 2014. Natalie Good *SHA Snowboarding Cambridge High School BMS/LLB *HM denotes Sir Edmund Hillary Medallist. James Grace Karate St John’s College, Hamilton BBA(Fin) *SHA denotes Step Higher Award recipient. Courtney Grenfell Bike Chilton Saint James School BA/LLB(Hons) *PM means that the student has received a Prime Minister’s Scholarship.