Woolf Fisher First-in-Family AUT Scholars lead the way

16 Mar, 2015
 
Woolf Fisher First-in-Family AUT Scholars lead the way

AUT University is proud to announce twelve inaugural recipients of the 2015 Woolf Fisher First-in-Family AUT Scholarship. The scholarships are aimed to support and encourage young people from families with no history of successful university education to complete a university degree.

The Woolf Fisher Trust, established by Sir Woolf Fisher, is one of New Zealand’s largest privately endowed educational trusts.  Trust Chair Sir Noel Robinson says they are thrilled to offer this First-in-Family scholarship to Thorne.

“We are proud to have awarded these scholarships and we are excited to see where the recipients’ academic study will take them in the next few years,” says Sir Noel.

AUT’s Vice Chancellor Derek McCormack says AUT is delighted to have partnered with the Woolf Fisher Trust to establish this scholarship scheme.

“Our goal is to encourage these young New Zealanders to follow their dreams by graduating with an AUT degree, to enjoy career success in their chosen field of study, and to provide encouragement and support to others to also aspire to university success,” says Mr McCormack.

The 2015 Woolf Fisher Trust AUT Scholarship recipients are:

  • Brendan Allan (Pukekohe) – Bachelor of Computer and Information Sciences
  • MacKenzie Bennett (Tauranga) – Bachelor of Business
  • Kaycee Botcher (Te Aroha) – Bachelor of Health Sciences – Paramedicine
  • Alexandra Newman (Manurewa) – Bachelor of Visual Arts
  • Nikora Price (Whangarei) – Bachelor of Communication Studies
  • Stacey Purdon (Te Atatu) – Bachelor of Design
  • Roselyn Singh (Mangere) – Bachelor of Health Sciences – Health Promotion
  • Thorne Williams (Warkworth) – Bachelor of Communication Studies
  • Sarah Bowyer (New Plymouth) – Bachelor of Arts – Criminology
  • Rebecca Harris (Whitianga) – Bachelor of Business
  • Dana Lawrence (Hastings) – Bachelor of Computer and Information Sciences
  • Shae Miller (Waiuku) Bachelor of Health Science – Physiotherapy

The Woolf Fisher Trust will invest more than $2 million over the next 10 years, which will support up to 40 scholarship holders per year by 2017.  Twelve scholarships will be offered in 2015, covering the direct costs of study for the duration of their undergraduate degree with a nominal value of around $20,000 per scholarship.

The scholarships are for undergraduate degree study at any of the University’s three campuses located in the City, North Shore and Manukau, and annual renewal of the scholarship will be dependent on the satisfactory academic progress of the scholarship recipient.

The Woolf Fisher Trust considers AUT the ideal partner for this endeavour with its commitment to access and opportunity, academic quality and the wide range of relevant contemporary degrees on offer.

About AUT University

Established in 2000 as the eighth university in New Zealand, AUT is a new university that began life as a technical school in 1888. Today it has three campuses in Auckland, a range of international research programmes and the fastest growing university enrolment in New Zealand. It has more than 25,000 students and prides itself on its high quality teaching staff, innovative facilities and study programmes delivering highly capable and employable graduates to the market place. AUT’s five faculties offer a wide diversity of subjects up to doctoral level.

About the Woolf Fisher Trust

The late Sir Woolf Fisher was a passionate supporter of education in New Zealand.  In 1960 he founded the Woolf Fisher Trust for the advancement of scientific and general education in New Zealand through its prestigious fellowships and scholarships.  The trustees hope that recipients of their fellowships and scholarships will demonstrate some of the qualities which Sir Woolf himself embodied in his successful career as an industrial pioneer:  integrity, leadership, boldness of vision and exceptional keenness and capacity for work.