Thirty-one top engineering students have been awarded Kick Start Scholarships from The University of Auckland.

The scholarships, worth $2000 each, are awarded to outstanding first-year students studying at the Faculty of Engineering.

Faculty of Engineering Dean Professor Michael Davies says the scholarships, awarded to students of academic excellence, are designed to help first-year engineering students get established. “The scholarships were set up to help alleviate some of the financial pressure for the students, in particular to help them pay for their textbooks, fees and accommodation costs.”

There are four types of Kick Start scholarships: Affirmative Action, City of Sails, Edward Connelly, and Merit.

Four students received Kick Start Affirmative Action scholarships this year. These scholarships are open to top academic students of Maori or Pacific Island heritage. The scholarships are awarded based on an applicant’s academic merit, personality and drive to make a difference.

Ten students were awarded Kick Start City of Sails scholarships. To be eligible students have to be from outside the Auckland metropolitan area. The scholarships are awarded to students who have demonstrated academic excellence in their final year of study and outstanding all-round ability.

Nine Edward Connelly Kick Start scholarships were awarded this year. These are given to students who demonstrate academic merit and all-round ability. The scholarships were established in memory of the late Edward Connelly, a former Faculty of Engineering employee, who made a significant bequest of his estate to the Faculty. Edward began his career as a janitor and moved his way up to store steward.

Eight students received Kick Start Merit scholarships. These scholarships are awarded to the top scholarship applicants based on academic marks achieved in the final year of secondary school and their personal achievements.

 Kick Start Scholarship winners:

Affirmative Action: Emma McMillan, Wanganui High School; Ariah-Bella Peters, Kaitaia College; Daniel Matetaka-Ormsby, Mangere College, Auckland; Morgan Teepa McCauley, Western Heights High School, Rotorua.

City of Sails: Louis Olsen-Stahl, Wellington College; Jenny Sahng, Riccarton High School, Christchurch; Millie Alexander, St Hilda’s Collegiate, Dunedin; Kieran Brennan, Palmerston North Boys High School; John McIvor, Napier Boys’ High School; Abel Leenders, ACG Strathallan, Papakura; Ray Chang, Wellington College; Callum Munster, Doha College, Wellington; Tepine Joyce Ariu, Tawa College, Porirua; Blair Eastwood, Hutt International Boys’ School, Upper Hutt.

Edward Connelly: Sarah Lowe, Botany Downs Secondary College, Auckland; Richa Patel, Lynfield College, Auckland; Arshin Zaman, Westlake Girls High School, Auckland; Elliot Buckley, Tauranga Boy’s College; Vaspan Raimalwala, Lynfield College, Auckland; Marcelle Hecker, Waimea College, Nelson; Zhen Yi Lim, Macleans College, Auckland; Anna Northey, Carmel College, Auckland; Nicholas Glucina, St Peter’s College, Auckland).

Merit: Nicholas Finch, Glendowie College, Auckland; Alyssa Develter, Epsom Girls Grammar School, Auckland; Liam Fisher, Glendowie College, Auckland; Sanelle Van Wyk, Macleans College, Auckland; Ryan Lim-Yip, Massey High School, Auckland; Angus Cheng, St Kentigern College, Auckland; Cameron Lawrence, ACG Strathallan College, Papakura; Tushar Garg, Auckland Grammar School.