Amy Grinsted’s future academic plans have been given a significant boost.

The year 13 Pakuranga College pupil has been awarded a prestigious scholarship for the First Foundation, which will offer her mentoring, work experience and financial support for tertiary studies.

She’s one of several east Auckland school pupils to receive the scholarship in 2024 following a competitive application and interview process that saw 60 recipients selected from more than 700 applicants nationwide.

Amy interviewed with a scholarship selection panel three times over an intensive nine-month application process, after finding out about the scholarship from Pakuranga College’s careers department.

“I hadn’t heard of the scholarship until the careers department posted about it,” she says.

“But once I discovered it, I knew I wanted it. The applications started in March last year, so it’s been quite a process to get here.”

Amy says the effort was worth it, with her being awarded a Dick and Diana Hubbard Foundation scholarship through the First Foundation in December.

It’s worth $12,000 and will see her also receive four weeks of paid relevant work experience and a personal mentor throughout her studies.

“I feel incredibly lucky to be given such an opportunity,” Amy says.

“I’m really excited for university next year, knowing that I’ve got such amazing support through the First Foundation.”

She plans to study a Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of Auckland, as she has a passion for justice.

Among the other school pupils to receive First Foundation scholarships in 2024 are Hanifa Salman Ali and Juliann Purea-Desai, who attended Edgewater College.

The First Foundation says its programmes are more than a scholarship. Recipients receive financial support, a dedicated mentor and paid work experience.

First Foundation scholars get $2000 at the end of the final year of school (from 2025) and $4000 per year for the second, third, and fourth year of university ($14,000 over four years) towards their university costs.

Recipients are matched with their dedicated mentor who will help them settle into university life, overcome challenges and achieve their goals.

The work experience sees students paired with an organisation that offers paid work for at least four weeks each year.

“As a First Foundation scholar, you’ll be part of a wider whānau of driven young Kiwis, with a support network you can reach out to in years to come.”

如需了解更多信息，请访问 https://firstfoundation.org.nz.