$17,500 in scholarships awarded to UCOL Te Pūkenga students

By UCOL on Wednesday, 31 October 2018

The UCOL Te Pūkenga recipients of the George Bolton Trust Scholarship.

Thirteen students from the UCOL Te Pūkenga Whanganui campus took home a combined $17,500 worth of scholarships at a recent ceremony on campus.

The UCOL Te Pūkenga Whanganui Campus awards scholarships twice a year, with Akoranga Education Trust, Arthur Wheeler Leedstown Trust, The Grand Hotel, and George Bolton Trust donating scholarships this round.

Recipients were chosen based on their academic achievements, effort, future plans, character, financial situation, and what they add to UCOL Te Pūkenga and their community.

Poppy Rowe, who came to UCOL Te Pūkenga to study Nursing after 39 years in the wool industry, says it was amazing to receive an Akoranga Education Trust Scholarship.

“It’s quite humbling. The donors are now a part of my life.”

Poppy says the scholarship will help her pay for textbooks and cover living expenses.

Bachelor of Nursing student Leah Akkerman, who made waves with the Whanganui District Health Board by employing a breathing technique to calm an anxious patient, was grateful to receive an Arthur Wheeler Leedtown Trust Scholarship. Having received a scholarship last year, Leah knows how much it can help.

“I bought a couple of textbooks I wouldn’t have had I not got the scholarship. It also meant that I didn’t have to work. Being a first year student at the time, I was thankful to be a in a position where work didn’t interfere with study.”

For Automotive Engineering student Arama Tuka, receiving a scholarship shows him that people support his dream of one day owning a high-performance automotive business.

“It’s very humbling that people believe in your dreams and aspirations. People believing in me gives me the strength to go forward. I’m very grateful,” says Arama.