The Wynne Costley Literary Research Scholarship Awards 2020

The Whanganui Branch of National Council of Women (NCWNZ) first introduced the annual scholarship for secondary students three years ago to honour the memory of Wynne Costley, a former teacher of English, Latin and French at both Wanganui Technical College (City College) and Whanganui Girls College where she was head of the English department upon her retirement in 1966. Wynne was a life member of NCW. The Branch has used interest from her bequest to NCW to fund the annual scholarship which is open to secondary school students who have completed a research assignment during the year on a New Zealand woman or New Zealand women, who have contributed to society in a definable way.

At the Awards function, Mary-ann Ewing, a former teacher and supporter of the scholarship initiative, presented the awards. NCW President, Jenny Saywood, invited all the students to speak briefly about the woman or women they had chosen to focus their research on and what they had learned. Every student impressed the audience. They all spoke with poise and clarity; their range of topic was broad and they all had gained personally from the research.

Overall Winner of the Wynne Costley Scholarship:
Aranga Molijn, Whanganui High School.

Year 13:
1st - Aranga Molijn
Highly Commended - Merle Chant

Year 12:
1st - Anna Bullock
Highly Commended - Nitya Dwivedi

Year 11:
1st - Olivia Bedwell
Highly Commended - Aria Rice-Edwards

Year 10:
1st equal - Amélie van Florenstein Muller and Tanatsiwa Musa

River City Press 22/10/20