Sir Edmund Hillary
Scholarship Programme
Inspiring excellence, all-round development and leadership
August 2012
Welcome from the Vice-Chancellor
Welcome to this second issue of the Hillary Newsletter for 2012.
It is always good to see our Sir Edmund Hillary Scholars on campus and in
the community, performing and participating in sport and the arts locally
and nationally.
Hillary Scholars are also involved in fundraising for good causes, and recently
organised an event to raise money for the Himalayan Trust to support the
activities that Sir Edmund Hillary established in Nepal. It is great that our
Hillary Scholars see the need to support Sir Edmund’s initiatives as a way of
saying thank you for the scholarships that have helped their education.
In May, I presented three Hillary Scholars with their Step Higher Awards. This is
the first year the awards have been offered. The Step Higher Awards have been
made possible by the Compass Group, which provides catering services to the
University halls of residence. Alex Hitchmough, Joshua Blue and Caitlin Easter
will be going to Nepal in 2013 to do community work and explore the region.
I know we already ask and expect a lot of our Hillary Scholars but we also
appreciate how keen they are to take up new challenges, and I encourage all
Fundraising on the green
Hillary Scholars baked and busked to raise money for the
Himalayan Trust. The students created cup-cakes and other
sweet eats while the less culinary-inclined entertained
students and staff on the village green.
“We were fundraising because we want to respect and continue Sir Ed’s
legacy,” said comedian and Hillary Scholar Lewis Dean, who performed
as part of the fundraising day. “His legacy and values are what the
Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship programme is built upon. It’s my first
year as a Hillary scholar and I’ve already genuinely found those values
throughout the programme.”
Lewis, from Pukekohe and studying
for a Bachelor of Science, is the
Hillary programme’s first comedian
scholar. He performed a brief stand-up
comedy set on the fundraising day and
music Scholars Jenna Walmsley and
Chase Douglas sang for money and
the crowd.
Every year the University of Waikato
Sir Edmund Hillary Scholars put on a
Himalayan Trust Fundraising Day on
the closest Wednesday to 29 May,
when Sir Ed conquered Everest.
students to embrace new opportunities that come
their way that will benefit them in their future careers.
I am pleased to announce that the latest set of
world university rankings has placed the University
of Waikato top in New Zealand and seventh in the
southern hemisphere of universities under 50 years
old. The UK-based ‘Times Higher Education’ rankings
of the top universities under 50 years old were released recently and place
the University of Waikato 58th in the world. The ranking is a tremendous
achievement and deserved recognition for Waikato.
Once again, I would like to thank scholarship sponsors Calder and Lawson's
Orbit Corporate Travel, U Leisure and all our sporting and arts partners for
their continued support for the Hillary Programme.
I wish all our Scholars well in their exams, study, and other activities for the
remainder of the year.
Professor Roy Crawford
Vice-Chancellor
Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship Programme
WHO CAN APPLY?
» Students who excel academically and in sports or creative
and performing arts
» School leavers
» Current tertiary students
» Students intending to study at the University of Waikato
at either the Hamilton or Tauranga campus.
WHAT DO YOU RECEIVE?
» Full fees Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship to study
at Waikato University
» Personalised academic support
» Leading coaches/tutors or skills development support
in your specialist sport/art
» A Leadership and Personal Development Plan
» Free gym membership and physical conditioning and more.
Follow us on facebook
www.facebook.com/HillaryScholarsWaikatoUniversity
Hillary Scholarship Applications close on 1 October
(this has changed from 31 October)
Application forms available via www.waikato.ac.nz/hillary
Proudly sponsored by
ON THE MIC:
Comedian Lewis Dean
Scot Hall and NZ Opera MASH
An internship when he was a Hillary Scholar opened Scot Hall’s eyes to the splendour,
complexity and hard work of opera. This year he was in the all-male chorus of NBR
New Zealand Opera’s season of Rigoletto.
“When I did the internship the company was rehearsing Macbeth.
I attended a conductor’s rehearsal, and a dress rehearsal; Lady Macbeth
was this fierce red-headed soprano. It was wonderful, I loved it.”
So this year he auditioned to be part of the cast for Rigoletto.
“The audition was absolutely terrifying. I was a Theatre Studies student
at university and my singing has mostly been in musical theatre, so
I came to opera with so much to learn. The discipline that’s required is
amazing. Everyone works so hard.”
Scot, a tenor, will tour the country this year for Operatunity – a group
that takes opera out into the community. He’ll be performing in the
Razzle Dazzle Tour, presenting a programme of high energy songs
from modern musicals, and as an actor he’s regularly auditioning, and
sometimes winning parts, for theatre and film projects.
Typography brought them together
and now they’re turning it into a
business. Three Hillary Scholars –
past and present – and a former
graphic design lecturer, all computer
graphic design students and selfconfessed typography nuts recently
set up a website called MASH.
MASH is an acronym formed from the
group members' names, Mary, Alice,
Saranna and Haylie.
HILLARY SCHOLAR ALUMNI:
Scot Hall.
“I absolutely think there’s an advantage in being both a trained singer and an actor. Dance classes are
the next step!”
He’s now represented by The Robert Bruce Agency, the television, film and theatre agency, one of the top
agencies in New Zealand.
Scot went to Hillcrest High (yes, he does know Kimbra), was arts captain, and in his final year topped
New Zealand in Scholarship Drama. That success prompted him to apply for a Waikato University
Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship. It was there he met his partner Kimberly Muncaster, also a Hillary
Theatre Studies student who’s gone on to be Head of Drama at Kaipara College in Helensville.
This year, three more Hillary Scholars will take up internships with New Zealand Opera during rehearsals
for The Bartered Bride. They’re Michael Potts (Theatre), Adam Maha (Conductor) and Te Wairere Ngaia
(Māori Creative and Performing Arts).
NBR New Zealand Opera General Director Aidan Lang says they’re pleased to support the Hillary Scholars.
“Opera is big and complex, so the students get to understand the scope and opportunities available to
them in this art form – from prop design, staging, musical direction, costuming and all the marketing,
administration and front of house work – they all have to come together as seamlessly as possible.
The stakes are high.”
Aidan says if the internship inspires students to pursue a career in opera, then they can take their
study to a higher level once they’ve completed their Waikato Study. NBR New Zealand Opera
is a partner in the Pettman Dare International Performance Scholarship where students spend most of
the year in Leeds with Opera North and the University of Leeds, some further time with New Zealand
Opera and then finish off their project at the University of Canterbury. “Hillary Scholars are just
the sort of people we’re after.” Applications for next year open in October. For more information visit:
www.dareyou.org.uk/projects/fellowships/pettman/
Saranna Drury and Haylie Gray are currently
completing their honours years for their
Bachelor of Computer Graphic Design;
Masters graduate Mary Faber will be
presenting her research at the international
ATypi conference in Hong Kong in October,
and former lecturer Alice Lo currently works
as a designer at Verdict.
Every day during June and July one of the
MASH team presented a new design for a
letter and posted it on the site and Alice Lo
says the feedback has been great. “Putting
a new letter up each day kept us busy and
the site fresh. We’ve had other designers
sending us messages, congratulating and
encouraging us, and we’re already planning
future projects.”
http://typemash.wordpress.com/
The designers are confident new work
will spring from the site. “This is like
an exhibition, from which we hope to
get commissions, and we’re organising
a physical exhibition for August of our
first project to gain local exposure,” says
Saranna. “We’ll be a type foundry and
create complete alphabets – that’s upper
and lower case, numbers, symbols –
the works.”
Hillary Scholarship
Showcase – 17 September
Come and share the exceptional and varied
talents of the Sir Edmund Hillary Scholars.
» When: 6.30pm Monday 17 September
» Where: Dr John Gallagher Concert
Chamber, Gallagher Academy of
Performing Arts
PLENTY OF DRAMA: Scot Hall as Louis XVI
and former Hillary Scholar Kimberly
Muncaster as Marie Antoinette
(with some 21st century eyewear).
2
Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship Programme | August 2012
Limited number of tickets
are available from the
Gallagher Academy of
Performing Arts.
Open to the public, all
tickets $12.
MASH DESIGNERS: Mary Faber, Alice Lo,
Saranna Drury, Haylie Gray; and two of their
creations above.
In the footsteps of Hillary
Three University of Waikato Sir Edmund Hillary Scholars have been selected to go to Nepal to see some of the work Sir Ed did
for the people there, do some work themselves and, weather permitting, explore some of the remoter areas.
Alex Hitchmough, Joshua Blue and Caitlin
Easter are recipients of the Step Higher Award,
sponsored by the Compass Group. They’ll spend
most of their time in the Khumbu Valley where
they’ll be teaching English and helping out in
the community.
Alex Hitchmough has just completed her
Postgraduate Diploma in Political Science after
doing a Bachelor of Social Science (Honours) in
geography and says she applied for the award for two
reasons. “First, I’m big on community development
and would ultimately like to work for the United
Nations, so this seemed like a good opportunity
to get some experience in a new and very different
location from what I’m used to. And I’ve gained so
much from being a Hillary scholar, I thought this
would be a chance to give something back.”
some of the kids in the schools and perhaps take
a couple of rugby balls over to have a throw
around and leave for them to keep.”
Netballer Caitlin Easter is a first year clinical
psychology student in the three-year Clinical
Psychology programme. She’s also studying
toward her Masters of Social Science which is
focusing on a sports psychology topic.
“I’m so grateful for this opportunity to go to
Nepal. I hope to take away some valuable skills
that I can bring home and apply to my career
as a clinical psychologist. I’m really looking forward
to being exposed to a new culture and to see
the full extent of Sir Ed’s influence on the
Khumbu region.”
Head of Student Academic Services at the
University Michelle Jordan-Tong says Hillary
Scholars expect to be taken out of their comfort
zones and be challenged in their thinking. “This
Step Higher Award will certainly do that, and we
also anticipate the scholarship will reinforce all
those leadership elements that are learnt on the
Hillary Programme.”
Rod de Vries Group Manager Operations for the
Compass Group says they chose to make the Step
Higher Award to support the University and add
to what is already an outstanding programme
for hardworking and talented Scholars. The
scholarships cover travel, accommodation and
a daily allowance for up to three weeks.
Josh Blue, rugby player and soon-to-be-lawyer says
he’s looking forward to seeing Sir Ed’s work first
hand. Like Alex, Nepal will be a new experience for
him. “As soon as I heard about the award, I knew
I had to apply. It will be a challenge; it’ll take me
out of my comfort zone. I hope to get to know
STEP HIGHER AWARD WINNERS: Alex Hitchmough, Josh Blue and Caitlin Easter with Head of Student
and Academic Service Division Michelle Jordon Tong and Rob de Vries from the Compass Group.
Personal Purpose
Hillary Scholars have a personal purpose. Sir Ed had a close association with the Management School’s Professor Clive Gilson
and told Clive he wanted Hillary Scholars to leave university with a genuine purpose.
“He was a relentless bugger,” says Clive, “he
wanted it done, and so we hit on the idea of
each scholar having a personal purpose. We
nutted it into shape and polished it up and once
that was done we presented it to the students.
It’s about students valuing themselves and their
place in society, and the purpose acts as a guide
post-university.”
Professor Gilson introduced the purpose to first
year students in May this year. He says by
completing the process it helps Scholars define and
refine what they stand for, while creating a solid
personal platform from which they can embrace
tough personal and professional challenges.
Theatre Studies scholar Jeremy Tomkins says
when he was first introduced to the concept of the
personal purpose he wasn’t entirely sure about it.
“Honestly? It seemed like a lot of work. But after
having the session with Clive it became so clear
that you need to have foundations to carry on
and build the walls and roof of your house. That’s
what I related my personal purpose to in terms
of focusing on my learning and goals.”
Jeremy says the purpose sets out the objectives
and steps of where he needs to be, how to do
it, why, and who he needs help from to make
these goals become achievable. “So yes,
personal purpose has influenced my study and
everyday life. I refer to it occasionally to make
sure I’m on track. I can see it having some
influence on my decision-making in the future.”
Equestrian scholar Lucy Olphert says the
personal purpose is more than she ever expected.
“That doesn’t mean it’s been easy. My biggest
struggle has been how to articulate my purpose.
Reducing deeply-felt inner convictions and
thoughts to mere words has been a challenging
experience. But the struggle of wordsmithing
has been well worth the effort! Ultimately, it has
really helped me to enhance my inspirational
capabilities so that I continuously challenge
myself to exceed personal best.”
Lucy has a mentor – Dr Anne-Marie d’Hauteserre
from FASS – and says that’s helped her to finetune her purpose. “We talked A LOT! About life,
about uni, about my sport. We also discussed
personal goals and challenges and the steps
I needed to put in place to achieve them.
“It has made me see how important it is to
goal set. You can aim high but ultimately you
also need to be realistic and have a clear plan
on how you are going to achieve those goals.
Success does not just come in the form of
medals, it’s also about leadership and how you
create meaning for yourself and others. Talking
about this sort of stuff with someone who
has so much life experience behind them has
really helped me to put things into perspective
and feel a lot more confident about where
I am heading.”
Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship Programme | August 2012
3
2012 Sir Edmund Hillary Scholars
Sport(s) or Creative/
Performing Art(s)
Athletics in partnership
with Athletics Waikato
Bay of Plenty, endorsed
by Athletics NZ
Name
Secondary School
Degree(s)
Kristie Ballie *PM
Morrinsville College
BA
Tracey Hale
Otumoetai College
BBA
Mariah Ririnui
Tauranga Girls' College
BCS
Timothy Stewart
Paraparaumu College
BMS
Michael Whitehead
Waiuku College
BCMS
Michael Fowke
Hillcrest High School
BE
Oliver Leydon-Davis
Badminton in partnership
Susannah Leydon-Davis
with Waikato Badminton
Felicity Leydon-Davis
Comedy
Cricket in partnership
with Northern
Districts Cricket
Dance supported by
Karen Barbour, Sport
and Leisure Studies
Equestrian in
partnership with
Equestrian Sports NZ
and St Peter's School
Football in partnership
with Waikato Bay of
Plenty Football
Golf
Graphic Design
supported by Kieth Soo,
Faculty of Computing
and Mathematical
Sciences
Hockey in partnership
with Waikato Hockey,
Bay of Plenty and
Tauranga Hockey
Indoor Rock Climbing
BMS
BMS
Hillcrest High School
BSc
Madeleine Stapleton
Hillcrest High School
BSocSc
Jaimee Agnew
Waikato Diocesan School for Girls
BMS
James Comer
Cambridge High School
BMS/BSpLS
Sacred Heart Girls' College,
New Plymouth
BMS/LLB
Basketball in partnership
with Waikato Basketball Sharee Hamilton
Bike endorsed by
Bike NZ
Hillcrest High School
Hillcrest High School
Caitlin Preston
New Plymouth Girls' High School
BMS
Courtney Grenfell
Chilton Saint James School
BA/LLB
Philippa Sutton
Waikato Diocesan School for Girls
BSpLS
Louis Wright
Matamata College
BMS
Lewis Dean
Pukekohe High School
BSc
Keir Bettley
Hamilton Boys' High School
BBA
Thomas Clout
Tauranga Boys' College
BMS/LLB
Natalie Dodd *PM
Waikato Diocesan School for Girls
BTchg
Ben Hyde
Whangarei Boys' High School
BMS
Brooke Kirkbride
Cambridge High School
BMS
Felicity Leydon-Davis
Hillcrest High School
BSc
Steven Rae
Tauranga Boys' College
MMS
Brett Sorrenson
Tauranga Boys' College
GradDipT
BSpLS
Matthew Thomas
Hamilton Boys' High School
Samantha Flay
Western Heights High School
GradDipT
Melanie Freiwald
Lautenberg, Germany
BSpLS
Simon Howie
Melville High School
BSpLS
Hannah Martin
Mt Maunganui College
BMS
Natalie Sangster
Sacred Heart Girls' College
BTchg/BA
Nicholas Brooks
St Peter's School, Cambridge
LLB(Hons)
Samantha Felton
Springbank School
BMS
BA
Lucy Olphert
Tauranga Girls' College
Katharine Treadaway
ACG Strathallan
BSocSc(Hons)
Kate Welten
Cambridge High School
BTchg
Mikayla Woods
St Peter's School, Cambridge
BEP
Kate Carlton
Tauranga Girls' College
BSpLS
Kylie Jens
St Peter's School Cambridge
BSocSc/LLB
Brayden Lissington
William Colenso College
BCS
Hayden Beard
Mount Maunganui College
BMS(Hons)
Hanna Seifert
St Peter's School, Cambridge
BSpLS/LLB
Charlotte Willson
Fairfield College
BTchg/BSpLS
Saranna Drury
Thames High School
BCGD(Hons)
Gage Hall
Hamilton Boys' High School
BCGD
Samantha Perry
Tauhara College
BCGD
Matthew Quinn
Hamilton's Fraser High School
BCGD
Sport(s) or Creative/
Performing Art(s)
Name
Secondary School
Degree(s)
Elsa Brown
Amy Christophers
Kerikeri High School
Otumoetai College
Opotiki College
Hillcrest High School
Waitara High School
Pukekohe High School
Rotorua Lakes High School
BSc
BSc
PGDipPsych
(Clin) &
MSocSc
BSpLS
GradDip(Acct)
BMS
BEP
BSc(Tech)
Campion College
LLB
St Peter's School, Cambridge
Hamilton Boy's High School
Te Awamutu College
Hauraki Plains College
Roncalli College
Havelock North High School
Onslow College
Wesley College
Netball in partnership
Caitlin Easter
with Netball Waikato and
Netball Bay of Plenty
Simmon Howe
Laura Langman *PM
Tamsin Moala
Cosette Saville
Orienteering
Angela Simpson
Paralympic Sport
Sarah Fuhrer
(Swimming)
Rowing in partnership
with Rowing NZ
Rugby in partnership
with Waikato
Rugby Union
Rugby League
Sailing
Screen & Media
supported by Dr Lisa
Perrott, Screen and
Media Studies
Snowboarding
Softball
Spring Board Diving
Squash in partnership
with Waikato Squash
Surf Life Saving in
partnership with Surf
Life Saving NZ
Georgia Perry *PM
Shaun Kirkham *PM
Graham Oberlin-Brown *PM
Alyce Pulford *PM
Finian Scott
Giacomo Thomas *PM
Tobias Wehr-Candler *PM
Sonny Aliifaalogo
Joshua Blue
St Peter's School, Cambridge
Adam Burn
Kane Jacobson
Marnus Hanley
Tyrone Te Ruruku
Hamiora Mihaka
Katrina de Lange
Hamilton Boys' High School
Hamilton Boys' High School
Rotorua Boys' High School
Wesley College
St Paul's College
Hillcrest High School
BCGD
BCS
BMS
BBA
BA
BCMS
BSc
BSpLS
BSocSc/
LLB(Hons)
BMS
BMS
BE
BSc(Tech)
BE
BCMS
Hannah West
Hillcrest High School
BMCT
Natalie Good
Corey Wilson
Cassandra Storey
David Dela Rue
Emma Millar
Jorja Tarrant
Mount Aspiring College
Hamilton Boys' High School
Sacred Heart Girls' College
Hamilton Boys' High School
Paraparaumu College
Waikato Diocesan School for Girls
BMS/LLB
BMS
BMS/LLB
BMS/LLB
BMS/BSpLS
BSpLS
BTchg
(Tauranga)
Andrew Newton *PM
Casey Stevens
Swimming in partnership Shelby Wilson
with Swimming NZ
Andrew Pullon
Table Tennis in
partnership with
Jessica MacAskill
NZ Table Tennis
Tennis in partnership
Jonothan Merchant
with Tennis Waikato Bays
Theatre supported
by Gaye Poole,
Theatre Studies
Cambridge High School
Delwyn Dellow
Natalie Foster
Ngaia Mason
Michael Potts
Tendai Sithole
Brendan Theodore
Jeremy Tomkins
Madeleine Brunton
King's High School
Sacred Heart Girls' College,
New Plymouth
Waikato Diocesan School for Girls
St Paul’s Collegiate School
James Hargest College
MSc
St Peter's School, Cambridge
BMS/LLB
Spotswood College
Fairfield College
Kamo High School
Hillcrest High School
John Paul College
Hillcrest High School
Tauranga Boys' College
Waikato Diocesan School for Girls
MA
BA/LLB
BTchg/BA
BA(Hons)
BA/LLB
BA
BTchg/BA
BSc
Hamilton's Fraser High School
BSc
Rotorua Boys’ High School
Rotorua Girls' High School
Rotorua Girls' High School
Western Heights High School
BA/LLB
BSpLS
BSpLS
BSpLS
Haylie Gray
St Peter's School, Cambridge
BCGD(Hons)
Cambridge High School
BCGD
Craig Armstrong *HM
Waiuku College
PhD
Natasha Cotton
Whangarei Girls' High School
BMS
Luke Coxhead
Bethlehem College
BMS
Kate Kernaghan
St Hilda's Collegiate School
BSpLS
Lachlan Musgrave
Tauranga Boys' College
BMS
Brooke Neal
Whangarei Girls' High School
BCS
Nicholas Ross
Otago Boys' High School
BBA
Kimberley Tanner
Waikato Diocesan School for Girls
BCS
Kayla Wilson
Hillcrest High School
BSpLs
Zachery Woods
Hamilton Boys' High School
BSc
Daniel Krippner
Hamilton Boys' High School
BE
Hillcrest High School
BSc
*HM denotes Sir Edmund Hillary Medallist.
*PM means that the student has received
a Prime Minister’s Scholarship.
Triathlon
Volleyball in partnership
with Waikato Regional
Volleyball, Volleyball Bay Shaunna Polley
of Plenty and endorsed
by Volleyball NZ
Aperehama Hurihanganui
Waka Ama
Renee Hannah
Water Skiing
Shannon O'Donnell
Oliver Shaw
X-terra
Correct as at 16 July 2012.
Karate
James Grace
Saint John's College
BBA
Kayak
Nikki Whitehead
Mount Hutt College
BTchg/BSpLS
Kickboxing
Jessica Howse
Cambridge High School
BMS
Māori Creative and
Performing Arts
Te Wairere Ngaia
Ngā Taiātea Wharekura
BCS
MotoCross
Bjarne Frederiksen
Wairarapa College
BECom
Scholar assistance contact:
Santiago Cañon-Valencia
Colegio Virtual Siglo XXI
BMus
Timothy Carpenter
St Peter's College, Cambridge
BMus
Greg O’Carroll – High Performance Student Manager
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 07 838 4264
4
BSpLs
BMS/LLB
Hamish Williams
Inline Hockey/Ice Hockey Anjali Thakker
Music supported
by lecturers of the
Conservatorium
of Music
BSpLS
Dolan Cox
Whakatane High School
BMus
June Dams
Tauranga Girls' College
DMA
Chase Douglas
Tauranga Boys' College
BMus(Hons)
Charlotte Ketel
Tauranga Girls' College
BMus
Andrew Leathwick
Hillcrest High School
BMus
Yotam Levy
Hillcrest High School
BMus
Adam Maha
Hillcrest High School
PGDipMus
Ngaruaroha Martin
Home schooled
BMus
Jeremy Mayall *HM
Hamilton Boys’ High School
PhD
Beverley Pullon
Otorohanga College
DMA
Nathaniel Smorti
Lake Taupo Christian School
BMus
Jennifer Spark
St Paul’s Collegiate School
BMus(Hons)
Amelia Taylor
Tauranga Girls' College
BMus
Jenna Walmsley
Church College of New Zealand
BMCT
Blaire White
Sacred Heart Girls' College, Hamilton
BMus
Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship Programme | August 2012
All other enquiries contact:
Nicola Clayden – Hillary Programme Manager
Email: [email protected] Phone: 07 858 5139 Mobile: 027 478 7331
Scholarship applications:
Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship Programme, Scholarships Office
The University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, New Zealand
Phone: 07 858 5195 Toll Free: 0800 WAIKATO
Website: waikato.ac.nz/scholarships
U Leisure provides sport and leisure services for the University of Waikato.