$1 million scholarships attract best students

Scholarships

More than 100 of South Australia's most outstanding school leavers in 2007 have been awarded undergraduate scholarships to study at the University of Adelaide this year.

The University has provided up to $1 million to attract the best and brightest students from every area of the State, as well as the Northern Territory, Broken Hill and rural Victoria.

A total of 16 Merit Scholarships and 95 Principals' Scholarships have been awarded, as well as the highly regarded Andy Thomas Scholarship and four Adelaide Undergraduate Scholarships.

Former Loxton High School student Kerry Halupka is this year's Andy Thomas Scholar, named after one of the University's most distinguished graduates, NASA astronaut Dr Andrew Thomas.

Kerry is enrolled in a double degree, studying for a Bachelor of Mechatronic Engineering and a Bachelor of Maths and Computer Science.

In 2007 Kerry also won an SA Great Regional Youth Award for her community voluntary work in the Riverina/Murraylands region.

It is the second time in three years that the Andy Thomas Scholarship has been won by a former Loxton High School student, both taught by Mrs Louise Barry. In 2006 Jordan Gray took out the honours.

Fellow South Australians Lucy Arrowsmith (Belair), Ric Porteous (Wattle Park), Daniel Brookes (Eden Hills) and Mieka Webb (Toorak Gardens) have won the prized Adelaide Undergraduate Scholarships.

Winners of this scholarship achieved a TER of 99.95 (excluding all bonuses) and made a significant contribution to their school and wider community.

Both the Andy Thomas and Adelaide Undergraduate Scholarships provide full fee remission for the approved program, plus $5000 a year to help with education and living costs, for up to four years.

The Merit Scholarships, worth $10,000, are awarded to students who gained a perfect TER of 99.95, excluding all bonuses.

The Principals' Scholarships, worth $5000, are awarded to students who have been nominated by their former school principal for outstanding academic merit and for making a significant contribution to their school and wider community.

Three international scholarships - the Adelaide Vietnam, the Adelaide Outstanding Achievers International, and the Malaysia Australia Colombo Plan Commemoration Scholarships - have also been awarded to nine outstanding international students.

The international scholarship award winners are: Aditya Khanna (India); Colin Ng (Malaysia); Mustafa Amiruddeen (Sri Lanka), Johanna Ng (Malaysia); Ki Seok Kim (Korea), Zhi Lin Oh (Malaysia); Yee Mun Fan (Malaysia); Thi Phan (Vietnam); Kim Khanh Nguyen (Vietnam) and Thi Huong Thao Le (Vietnam).

University of Adelaide Vice-Chancellor and President Professor James McWha congratulated the students on their scholarships.

"These students have already revealed their outstanding character and academic ability and we are very pleased they have chosen to study at the University of Adelaide," Professor McWha said.

"We are committed to educating high achievers and maintaining a level of excellence at the University."

Story by Candy Gibson