Leadership skills impress during scholarship selection

It turns out universities are looking for more than academic prowess.

Sure, it’s one of the key criteria when applying for a scholarship but many universities are looking for more than just book smarts. They are now looking for well-rounded students.

Ben McColgan, Lauren Ring, Connor Gordon and Jimmy Christey were made offers based on their leadership experience and leadership potential moving forward.

The four Year 13 students have been involved in a series of leadership opportunities while studying at St Paul’s including applying and successfully becoming school prefects and attending the Year 12 leadership camp.

In addition, Ben was Head of Sargood House, Lauren was Deputy Head of Harington Day, Connor was Head of Clark House and Jimmy was Head of Hall House.

They also had excellent academic records with NCEA certificate endorsements and a well-rounded portfolio of other achievements including extracurricular involvement and volunteer work.

It was their leadership experience and well-rounded portfolio that set them apart from the masses of bright academics who also applied for scholarships.

This year, more than 20 St Paul’s students have been offered scholarships for tertiary study in 2017.

Lauren Ring (pictured)

Canterbury University Emerging Leaders Scholarship ($6000) and Otago University Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship ($6000). Lauren has chosen to study engineering at Canterbury.

• NCEA Level 2 – endorsed with Excellence; 93% GPA; 100% in Sports Science; first in Mathematics with Calculus at St Paul’s
• NCEA Level 1 – 87% GPA; 100% in PE and Visual Art
• Deputy Head of Harington Day
• Volunteered for Waikato Hospital, Women’s Refuge and St Paul’s Over the Fence Ministry (a service initiative at St Paul’s where students volunteer their time to low decile primary schools)
• Member of the swimming team, worship team, senior debating team and academic, chapel and food committees.

Ben McColgan

Massey University Future Leaders Scholarship ($5000)

• NCEA Level 2 – endorsed with Merit, GPA 72%,
• NCEA Level 1 – endorsed with Merit, GPA 71%
• Winner of the Fieldays Young Innovators Award (with student group Crankworks)
• Head of Sargood House, full school prefect
• Member of the 1st XI and 2nd XI cricket teams, 1st XV rugby team, rowing club, athletics team and sports and boarding committees
• Volunteered for St Paul’s fundraising gala, Leukaemia and Blood Cancer Foundation’s Shave for a Cure and St Paul’s Over the Fence Ministry.

Connor Gordon

Lincoln University Future Leaders Scholarship ($6000)

• NCEA Level 2 – endorsed with Merit
• Winner of the Fieldays Young Innovator of the Year Award (with student group Crankworks)
• Head of Clark House, full school prefect
• Member of St Paul’s 1st XV rugby, rowing and athletics teams and mission/outreach and boarding committees
• Volunteered for St Paul’s Over the Fence Ministry, Women’s Refuge, Njombe School (Tanzania), Christchurch Earthquake and Salvation Army
• Leader of the House Haka.

Jimmy Christey

Otago University Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship ($6000)

• NCEA Level 2 – endorsed with Excellence; 92% GPA; 100% in Cambridge AS English and NCEA Sports Science; first in English and second in Biology at St Paul’s
• NCEA Level 1 – endorsed with Excellence; GPA 91%; 100% in IGCSE Chemistry, English and Physics and NCEA PE; first at St Paul’s in IGCSE English and NCEA Sports Science
• NZ Scholarship – English
• Head of Hall House, full school prefect
• Member of the swimming, rowing, squash, athletics and basketball teams and the ball, academic and social committees
• Volunteered for St Paul’s Over the Fence Ministry and Njombe School (Tanzania).