Leading NZ scholarship winner heading to Cambridge uni

Tāmaki Makaurau - An amazingly gifted New Zealand student, Rangimarie Puttick, is the recipient of this year’s Sir Douglas Myers Scholarship to attend Cambridge University in the United Kingdom.

Puttick last year left ACG Parnell College in Auckland with As in A-level geography, English literature, Spanish and economics, as well as already having achieved As in A-level mathematics and biology in 2021 when she was still in year 12.

Her academic prizes at the school included first in year level for years 9, 10, 11 and 12 and dux in year 13.

Puttick’s teachers describe her as not only a hard-working student with academic flair that cannot be taught but also a lovely person who is always willing and keen to help out others and who is always engaged and polite in class, as well as being very much involved in the wider life of the school.

The late Sir John Graham and Dawn Jones established Senior College of New Zealand, New Zealand's first school for senior students, in 1995. This was the founding school of the ACG group, which now comprises independent schools and vocational colleges around New Zealand.

Puttick’s teachers praise her for her commitment to service and teamwork and for her sporting and musical activities.

Her many acts of service include being president of the ACG Parnell Rotary Interact Club, volunteering at Ronald McDonald House and setting up and running a youth group.

She was deputy head girl of ACG Parnell College in Year 13, co-captain of the school’s top debating team and co-editor of the school’s magazine.

Her sporting pursuits include netball, swimming, marathon running and tramping.

In music she was in the finals of the New Zealand Pacific music competition in 2020, winning the prize for best performance of a piece by a New Zealand composer.

Puttick will study human, social and political sciences at Cambridge, with the aim of potentially completing a master’s degree in international relations and hoping to represent New Zealand in some capacity on the international stage.

She says she has a vision for Aotearoa as a key player on the international stage.

The late Sir Douglas Myers set up his scholarship in 2000 for academically gifted students intending to return to New Zealand to become leaders in their chosen fields.

Myers, a well-known businessman and former leader in the brewing industry, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in history from Cambridge. He was a significant supporter of education, business, sport and the arts, and his scholarship continues his outstanding legacy of finding ways to create opportunities to encourage young New Zealanders to succeed in global competition.

The annual scholarship provides tuition, college fees and a living allowance. Universities New Zealand – Te Pōkai Tara administers it in addition to around 40 other scholarships and fellowships.