Ranger Stockley (20) is in his third year of a conjoint Bachelor of Property / Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Auckland. A talent for entrepreneurship had early beginnings. In his final year at Whangarei Boys’ High School, Ranger became CEO of an award-winning student-led business.
As well as excelling academically, Ranger was also a skilled hockey player and coach, and a dedicated hospice volunteer. Reflecting on the peers and role models who have had a positive influence on his life, Ranger says one of his goals is to have a lasting, positive impact on his wider community. “I want to leave a legacy of good from my own doing.”
“What stands out to me most about the Keystone Trust is its strong focus on developing its students and helping them to find community within the property. industry. I admire the way it supports students not only academically and professionally, but also improving their personal skills – and that’s so important.”
How did you first find out about Keystone?
“I stumbled across Keystone purely by coincidence, and not by recommendation from someone. It was about four months before high school finished, and I was looking through the University of Auckland’s website for available scholarships.”
What was the most challenging aspect of the interview process?
“I actually felt rather comfortable throughout the whole actual interview process. The interviewers made sure I wasn’t nervous and gave me the necessary time to respond. What I found the hardest was the waiting time between submitting my initial application, to finding out I was shortlisted, and ultimately receiving the scholarship. (At that time, if I did not get a scholarship, there was no way I would be able to afford to move cities to attend university.) Each stage came with a breath of relief, as university became so much more realistic with each step.”
What have you learned about Keystone that you didn’t know before being awarded a Scholarship?
“The foremost reason I applied for Keystone was the financial aid, as it meant the difference between attending university straight out of high school, and having to wait and save for it. But what I didn’t realise it provided was such a visible generational impact – through the connections I have made to the decades of former alumni. Like me, they also benefitted from the scholarship.”
What difference has the scholarship made to your studies?
“Throughout the number of different papers I’ve taken in my property degree, we’ve had many different industry speakers come in and talk to us regarding the discipline the paper is covering. But they didn’t quite connect. Keystone, however, with its site visits and speakers, has made these different industry pathways seem realistic and helped me understand what they entail. Essentially, the opportunities that Keystone has provided have given clarity as to where I want to end up after university. They’ve also helped me gain a better understanding of what I am studying toward.”
What personal talent do you have that Keystone may not know about?
“I’ve taken up DJ-ing in the past year as a hobby and I’m starting to become somewhat okay at it – although I’m not quite ready to headline any festivals yet!”
Have you worked with, or are you currently working with, a sponsor company?
“I am currently working as a sales assistant for a residential property development, Port Nikau, in my hometown of Whangarei. This role was made available to me after a sponsor company reached out to Keystone asking for students that might be well suited to the role, and I was successful in my application.”
What place does AI have in your future plans?
“AI is already shaping many of the companies in the property industry – most notably massively improving efficiencies in redundant tasks that can be easily automated. I can see AI going even further and helping to get rid of lots of document analysis and allowing people entering the property industry to focus on what they enjoy with their work, rather than spending so much time focusing on mundane, tedious tasks in the industry.”
Final thoughts:
“What stands out to me most about the Keystone Trust is its strong focus on developing its students and helping them to find community within the property. industry. I admire the way it supports students not only academically and professionally, but also improving their personal skills – and that’s so important.”
This story is part of the My Story Could Be Your Story series. You can read more stories here or watch the interviews on our Keystone Trust YouTube channel.
