2024 Bay of Plenty Education Trust Scholarship Recipients from Te Puke. Ruby Burt (Mt Maunganui University), Cameron Patterson (Te Puke High School) and Tom Beswick (Bay of Plenty Education Trust Trustee).Photo/Alex Cairns
Four local students were among those who recently received Bay of Plenty Education Trust scholarships to help them progress to higher education.
The winners are: Cameron Patterson, originally from Te Puke, attended Te Puke High School. Ruby Burt from Paengaroa, former student at Mt Maunganui University. and Harriet van der Westhuizen and Adrena Palmer, who graduated from Papamoa College last year.
Each scholarship is worth $6,000 per recipient, distributed over many years of higher education.
Cameron is keen to become a dentist and plans to put his money toward studying health sciences at the University of Otago. Ruby plans to study biology at the University of Auckland and then medicine. Harriet plans to study engineering at the University of Canterbury, while Adrena also plans to complete an engineering qualification at the University of Auckland.
The four joined 10 other students who took part in the BOP Education Trust's prize-giving ceremony.
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Thanks to the trust's science, technology and emerging industries bursaries, 409 coastal Bay of Plenty University students have received a total of $2,081,750 over the years.
Each year, the trust awards scholarships to as many as 20 students graduating from coastal high schools and universities between Katikati and Opotiki. Universities with a student population of more than 1,000 students are eligible to receive two scholarships, with winners determined by the individual university/high school.
Bay of Plenty Education Trust chairman Nick Earle said investing in the higher education of the Bay's young people had been a focus of the trust for many years, and it also supported other areas of the community.
The trust has been in operation since 1985.
Other new recipients from Western Bay include Logan Murray and Vince Escalan (Tauranga Men's College). Kate Decker (Aquinas College); Katie Seng Woon Chua and Rachel Wahab (Outsmoetai College). Manu Gates and Danica Fisher (Tauranga Women's University). Benjamin Salmon (Bethlehem University); Michael Keene (Katikati University); Joe Chapman (Mt Maunganui University).
Eastern Bay's new winners were Deepak Joshi and Rhys Robertson (Whakatane High School). Brayden Andrews (Trident High School); Shinaid O'Regan (Edgcumbe College); Atsutahi Porter (Opotiki College); and Trizana Wade (Tarawera High School).
