MEDIA RELEASE

November, 2011

Heidi Lawson Takes Top Academic Awards

The Stevens Award for Academic Excellence is awarded to the Kristin Dux of School and this year the recipient was NCEA student, Heidi Lawson.

A highly motivated student who is actively involved in all aspects of life at Kristin, Heidi was awarded Merit in Level 3 Geography, and Excellence in her remaining 5 subjects; Economics, English, Chemistry, Statistics and Modelling, and Mathematics with Calculus. Her impressive results have also earned her the Senior School Achievement Trophy.

A Senior School Prefect, Heidi has acted as Chairman for the 2011 Cultural Committee and was a valuable member of the Prefect team who raised more than $21,000 to renovate the Salvation Army�s Epsom Lodge recreation room earlier this year.

Heidi�s impressive academic results have earned her a place on the much coveted PricewaterhouseCoopers scholarship programme. As well as receiving assistance to the value of $7000 over the course of her degree, Heidi will receive mentoring support, develop valuable business relationships and networks, and have the opportunity to work as an intern at PWC over a summer break.

With such inspiring academic results and a dedicated approach to service within her community, Heidi has also been honoured with two scholarships from the University of Otago. The first is the University of Otago Leaders of Tomorrow scholarship valued at $5000 which recognises academic achievement and demonstrated leadership potential. The second is the University of Otago Dux scholarship, guaranteeing her a place in a residential college or hall of residence when she moves to Dunedin next year.

Kristin School provides students with a dual qualification pathway where Senior School students can elect to either complete the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma in Years 12 and 13, or continue through the levels of NCEA. In previous years many of the recipients of the Stevens Award have been completing their IB diploma.

Senior School Principal, Brendan Kelly, reflects that Heidi�s success is not at all surprising. �At Kristin we invest a huge amount into the dual qualification pathway. Students who take part in both IB and NCEA are encouraged to succeed, supported through their study and regularly achieve results to rival those from New Zealand and around the world. Heidi is the perfect example of a motivated and talented student who has worked incredibly hard. She deserves our respect and encouragement and I look forward to seeing where the next few years take her�