Since 1998 the AMP Scholarship Programme over 70 Scholarships have been awarded to ordinary New Zealanders who are achieving extraordinary things.
“There were a couple of years the scholarship didn’t run but a million dollars has been committed to it over the next five years,” Scholarship Manager Danette Hunter told Business to Business.
Previous recipients range from glass artists and scientists to ballet dancers and actors. However, the one thing each of these individuals has in common is a determination to turn their dreams into reality.
The Scholarship is open to anybody of any age and background who can demonstrate they have the ability and attitude to succeed in their chosen field.
“We have so many talented New Zealanders and the scholarship can help launch them,” Ms Hunter said.
In recent years, there have been over 500 applications every year and each year up to ten community scholarships and two premium scholarships are awarded.
The entire application process occurs online and applications close midnight June 30.
Some of the past winners are:
28-year-old Reina Webster is studying for a Masters degree in film theory at Auckland University after previously working as a reporter and presenter in radio and television. Reina’s AMP scholarship will assist her with her plans to study at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts Film Production Masters programme. Her vision is to make quality films and television programmes with a uniquely Maori/bicultural perspective for New Zealand and international audiences. Jamie McFadden
North Canterbury’s Jamie McFadden, 33, plans to make the world a better place by encouraging and involving people in conservation projects.
Jamie established a native plant nursery on his family’s 800 hectare farm seven years ago for replanting vacant areas on the farm. The nursery opened to the public in 1999 and Jamie now hopes to use plants from the nursery for a community project in the Hurunui district.
The project involves developing native plantings throughout the Hurunui district with the aim of increasing the number of natural habitats and enhancing the movement of wildlife, particularly native birds. Jamie is involved in a number of local groups and is currently joint vice president for North Canterbury Federated Farmers.
Rotorua’s Sam Hunt, 16, has been playing golf since he was nine, lowering his handicap from 36 to 2 under. His dream is to qualify for the 2004 US Masters in Augusta before following in the footsteps of Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus to win the US Masters, US Open, British Open and PGA Championships.
Sam has won the individual trophy at the World Intercollegiate Championship and qualified to play in the NZ Open as an amateur. He also finished fourth in last year’s Junior British Open.
Other golf successes include being a member of the New Zealand under-18 golf team for the past two years and winning several Bay of Plenty titles. Sam is also a member of the AMP Rotorua Boy’s High School golf team that won the last two World Secondary Schools Championships.
Medical Research Scientist, Auckland
Darren Hooks, aged 25, is in his eighth year of full-time study. His goal is to ‘gain experience of common heart pathologies and find out how those pathologies affect individuals, and then combine that knowledge with my research skills to further advance the understanding of cardiac disease’. This year Darren enters his fourth year (second half) of his clinical medical training at the University of Auckland and wishes to complete this study by 2004. Darren is dedicated to a research career in New Zealand and says he can see himself working as a researcher in academic medicine in five years’ times.
Victor Kendall
MBA student and plant, manager, Auckland
Victor’s personal goal is to establish a co-operative, based on a model in the Basque Region of Spain, which will promote quality organic produce to the domestic and export markets and encompass training, employment, investment and educational opportunities for the local community. Victor says the project will benefit the Maori community in Northland by utilising currently unproductive resources and improving communities’ quality of life and their self-sustainability. Trudie Ward
Trudie Ward left school at an early age but returned five years later as an adult student because she had decided she wanted to be an industrial designer.
Later, during her university degree, she took an unpaid job with a design company just to get the experience before she graduated.
Both decisions are examples of 29-year-old Trudie Ward’s exceptional drive and motivation.
Trudie says her “working class” background meant getting an education came second to getting a job and she had to break out of that mentality in order to get herself to university.
In her final year at university Trudie came into contact with medical design and identified a need for a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) bathing system. She designed a new system in consultation with NICU specialists and parents.
“I intend to further myself, my knowledge and my career in medical design so that I can realise my goal to benefit at risk babies and the community at large.
“I am confident that this could be a world-class New Zealand product, but it needs development and global connections to see it through to its full potential.”
