Shem Harris, a first-year University of Auckland student determined to have a positive impact on society, will study at Cambridge University after being awarded the prestigious Sir Douglas Myers Scholarship 2014. The scholarship, valued at $100,000 over three years, will see him heading to Gonville and Caius College at Cambridge University where he plans to do an engineering degree specialising in environmental engineering. He would like to follow this up with a postgraduate law degree. “Environmental engineering aims to address the ramifications of human activities like pollution, large-scale construction and global warning, while studying law will enable me to work towards changing legislation and policy to be part of the solution to prevent these impacts.” Shem believes that Cambridge will help to ‘open doors’ to fulfil his goal of contributing to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges. “The opportunity to learn alongside other motivated students will allow me…

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Nua student Amy Horn recently competed in the Track Cycling Nationals in Invercargill. She was able to get through to the semi finals in the Derby, achieved a personal best time in the 500 time trial, achieved a top 5 result for the scratch race and a 7th in the points race. Amy has trained for the past five months for this event as well as competing at track cycling events all around the North Island. She even ndured two crashes only weeks out from nationals. This was a great experience for Amy. To compete at a national event is a great achievement for a 14 year old. We are very proud of her!

Last weekend HC student, Xsavier Taiaroa, attended a Hamilton trial for the New Zealand Under-14 Junior Women’s Inline Hockey team.  Xsavier has been playing Inline-Hockey for the past 6 years. She is currently playing for the Rimutaka Renegades Under-14 and senior women’s team which are based in Upper Hutt. Last year she was a member of the senior women’s Renegade team who place 3rd at New Zealand nationals. From this tournament Xsavier was chosen for the Lower North Island Interregional Junior women’s team which placed 2nd. Xsavier will find out in the next few weeks if she has made the New Zealand team.

Horowhenua College Year 10 student Trent Smith recently made the NZ Basketball Academy U14 Development team to travel to Las Vegas in July 2014. There he will play a tournament, meet college scouts, train with US Coaches and meet some NBA Stars. Trent started playing basketball in 2012 and currently plays for Kapiti Basketball Association. His head coach is Angelo Robinson (pictured above with Trent), who, along with Kenny McFadden, started the NZ Basketball Academy. Trent is already 6ft 4in and only recently turned 14. His short term goals are to be selected to play for NZ Koru age group teams by the end of the year. His ultimate goal is to gain a basketball scholarship to a college in the US and then to go on to play in the NBA.

Daniel Adams joined the Services Academy in 2011 hoping that it would help him achieve his goal of getting into the US Marines. He participated in all of the Academy courses, physically and mentally pushing himself to get closer to his end goal. In 2012 he worked really hard academically to complete his Level 3 NCEA and he also passed his Regimental Fitness Level (RFL) to get into the Army. Within the Services Academy he gained leadership skills, fitness, discipline, experience in Military Based Camps and drill, all of which ultimately increased his chances of being accepted into the Army. In 2012 he shared the Services Academy Top Student Trophy by showing all of those qualities which helped him with his enlistment. Daniel had planned on enlisting either late in 2012 or early in 2013. Initially, because of his academic achievement, his fitness and his leadership qualities, he was recruited…

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