Mother And Daughter Celebrate Double Dux Awards

Diocesan Mother And Daughter Celebrate Double Dux Awards

Year 13 Diocesan student Rosie Grant may have a special talent for sciences, but she was also making a strong mark in history when she was named Dux at the School’s Senior Prize Giving.

While Rosie’s family sat in the Holy Trinity Cathedral waiting to hear who would be awarded the top academic prize for 2010 at the all-girls, independent Auckland school, her mother, Dr Joan Ingram, had time to cast her mind back to when she was also at Diocesan.

Thirty two years ago in 1978, Joan was named joint Dux with Margaret MacMillan, who is now Professor Margaret Brimble, an internationally renowned, award-winning research scientist based at Auckland University.

Although Rosie knew she was a contender for the Dux award, it was still a surprise to hear her name read out after Angela Choi was named Proxime Accessit to the Dux.
“Because some Year 13 girls are sitting the International Baccalaureate Diploma and the NCEA marks are not expressed as percentages, it can be hard to tell how your marks rank alongside other students’ marks,” says Rosie, who sat NCEA and Scholarship exams this year.

Her Dux award topped a long list of prizes this year. As well as receiving a 2010 Scholar’s Award, she received a subject award for Mathematics with Statistics, English Award for Academic Excellence, Nova Gas Award for Chemistry, Lady Reeves Prize for Outstanding Performance in theoretical and Practical Biology, the Service Award, and a Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award – Gold.

Rosie was also one of three Diocesan students, along with Kate Chatfield and Rebecca Compson, to receive an Otago University Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship worth $5000.

That award helps students who have demonstrated all-round ability and who exhibit leadership to attend the University of Otago – where Rosie plans to take seven Health Sciences papers next year.

“My goal is to get entry into medicine. I am not sure yet which area I would like to specialise in but I like the idea of exploring different options during the degree,” says Rosie whose has a strong interest in Biology and says that she might like to work with children.

Rosie’s mother is an infectious diseases physician and her father, Dr Cameron Grant, is an Associate Professor at Auckland University and a consultant paediatrician at Starship Children’s Hospital.

Like her mother, Rosie says she will always have fond memories of her time at Dio, where she started school 13 years ago as a new entrant.

“I’ve had really good teachers in my time at school. This year it has been great getting to really know our teachers well and learn with them in small groups.”

Taking part in two Future Problem Solving Conferences – in Denver in 2007 and Michigan in 2008 – with Centre for the Enhancement of Learning teachers Mrs Suzanne Buswell and Ms Kathryn Seagrave, were also invaluable learning experiences for Rosie.

Angela Chou, who was named Proxime Accessit to the Dux, also received a 2010 Scholar’s Award the 2010 New Zealand Institute of Physics Award for Outstanding Contribution to Year 13 Physics and a Diploma Group 5 Award.

Josephine Cutfield received the Eliza Edwards Memorial Award. This award is given to a student who has contributed to many school activities, shown high personal standards and exhibited qualities including love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and humility, which are inherent in the foundation of the School.

ENDS

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