The leadership qualities of St Paul’s Collegiate School’s Head Boy, Jack Davies, was a big drawcard for Otago University’s scholarship board who offered the 17-year-old a $45,000 scholarship.
Davies is the current head boy of St Paul’s, co-chair of the school’s academic portfolio, a tutor for junior boarding students and captain of various sports teams – all attributes that the university identified as “worthy of the scholarship.”
Davies commitment to community service and academic ability were also favourable for his selection. He gained both silver and bronze Duke of Edinburgh awards in recent years, achieved NCEA levels one and two endorsed with excellence (the highest possible endorsement) and passed NZQA Scholarship PE last year (only three percent of students who sit Scholarship examinations pass).
He plans to continue on a strong academic pathway after leaving St Paul’s, having chosen first year health science with the intention of maintaining high enough grades for entrance into medicine the following year.
The aspiring doctor found out about his scholarship success in the final week of term three: “I was initially surprised because I didn’t expect to get it but now I’m thrilled because it gives me a financial head start.”
