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 Waikato 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).