Supporting our students for 30 years

Armed with a resourcefulness that belies her age, and a proactive approach to her education, Jamie Merrick has always been a masterclass in the growth mindset.

Supermarket worker, chemist delivery cyclist, department store salesperson, neighbourhood lawn mower, and paper boy: as a Timaru teenager, Dale Henderson did it all. Little did he know what those schoolboy skills would eventually lead to.

Not everyone who gets a Keystone Study Award accepts it. At least not immediately. That was the case for Dane Hart, who encountered a delicious collision of opportunities in his final months at school.

Corrina Gibbons-Hurinui knows the Keystone scholarship interview process from both sides of the table. As a teenaged applicant, she found the selection panel encounter “pretty terrifying”, she now laughingly admits. Later, she became a panel member herself, and while still trying to keep prospective recipients on their toes: “I didn’t go out of my way to make it terrifying.”

Thao Nguyen’s journey of achievement began long before her introduction to Keystone. Just 13 years prior to receiving her study award, Thao, together with her mother and sibling, arrived in New Zealand as refugees from Vietnam. They could not speak any English. That meant a fast learning curve for Thao in particular, who had to immerse herself in English as a second language and assume the role as both lead family interpreter and teacher.

Aged just 14, Anntonina Savelio knew she wanted to work with her hands, onsite and involved in construction. But her father was a carpenter by trade and steered her away from the long hours, challenging physical work and male-dominated environment.

Lee Matheson gave indication of his drive in his original Keystone application letter, where, as a 17-year-old,  he wrote: “I aim to get the most out of my life by doing everything positive to make it enjoyable and satisfying. A country boy at heart, my interests reflect this.  I get great pleasure out of everything I do, and plan to continue, wherever life may take me.”

The neighbours came to his rescue when Marcus Read needed a suit. The white shirt, the bow tie, the pants and jacket – they provided it all on loan when Marcus was invited to attend his Keystone Awards dinner.

She was seventeen years old and in her final year of high school, juggling responsibilities few navigate successfully, even in adulthood. However, humble beginnings have never held Jacqueline Paul from achievement, nor have they seen her steadfast social consciousness wane. Jacqueline’s story is an amazing story of Wāhine Toa as we celebrate International Women’s Day this year.

Things moved fast for Andrea Salter after she’d given her speech at the annual Keystone awards dinner. It was November 1999. Andrea had just completed five years at Auckland University and was to graduate in 2000 with a Bachelor of Architecture. Before the night was over, she’d been offered two jobs.