Hard work rewards young achievers
BEAMING: Whanganui High School scholarship students Alister Hughes, Vincent Collins and Boston Flanagan-Connors cut cake to celebrate.
PHOTO / Emma Russell
Whanganui High School (WHS) scholarship students are reaping the rewards as they take their next step in the big wide world.
On Wednesday three of the seven Year 13 students from last year were able to attend a morning tea in the WHS staff room to celebrate their achievements.
For high school graduate Boston Flanagan-Connors 10 exams in three weeks was "no sweat".
Boston said he had six regular exams and then four scholarship exams on top - each three hours long.
"It was pretty intense but really rewarding at the same time. Knowing that all your hard work has paid off feels pretty good."
The 18-year-old was awarded scholarships for history, statistics and classics and will receive $6000 over the three years of his study.
As he heads down to Victoria University to study a bachelor in law and commerce, that money will help pay for his accommodation.
Classmate Vincent Collins, 18, scored a statistics scholarship and received $500 which will help him as he heads down to Victoria University to study a bachelor of physics and international relations.
Vincent said he went for four scholarships and got the one he least expected to get.
"I'm pretty pleased. I went for heaps to see if I would get any and I did so I'm happy."
Another classmate, Alister Hughes, 17, took the cake with a quadruple scholarship.
His four scholarships were physical education, English, geography and statistics.
Alister will also be going to Victoria University to study law and sociology and was awarded $6000 over three years.
"I think I'll be saving the money for when I go flatting and the student life really begins to kick in."
WHS principal Martin McAllen said the level of competition for these scholarships were huge and these students had done outstanding work.
"They are students with clear goals and who will go far. Let's just hope they come back to Whanganui."
The Year 13 scholarship students who didn't attend were Jesse Satherley for chemistry, physics, calculus; Angus James for history; Danielle Thompson for history; and Hugo Collins for classics.
Mr McAllen said overall he was very pleased with the performance of all the NCEA level 1, 2 and 3 students.
By Emma Russell
Wanganui Chronicle 26/2/18
