Eastland Group tertiary engineering scholarship winners

MEDIA STATEMENT
5 January 2015

Eastland Group tertiary engineering scholarship winners announced

Engineering students Briar Thomas and Sam Godwin are the 2015 recipients of Eastland Group’s Tertiary Study Scholarships.

The company’s annual scholarship offers $5,000 to Eastland region students studying engineering, with a particular focus on civil, mechanical or electrical engineering. The scholarship comes with the opportunity of paid holiday work with the company.

Eastland Group chief executive Matt Todd says the pair’s applications stood out among 14 other applications and so, in a change from recent years Eastland Group has awarded two full scholarships for 2015.

“We were delighted to receive so many excellent applications. Applicants wrote a 1,000 word essay about how winning an Eastland Group scholarship would help them, and what their study and career aspirations are.

” We are looking for people who are strong academically, but also well rounded, practical, show leadership ability and are potentially able to fit into the Eastland Group team and add value to the organisation in the future.

“Our aim is to select students studying subjects that complement Eastland Group’s business and operations. Therefore, applicants must be studying civil, mechanical or electrical engineering.”

Aside from their essay, scholarship applicants were reviewed by Eastland Group in terms of academic achievement, character and potential leadership, and potential to contribute to New Zealand’s engineering industry.

Wairoa-based Briar Thomas has attended Iona College and King’s College. She will begin her first professional year in civil engineering at the University of Canterbury next year.

“I’m passionate about how things work and finding better solutions,” she says. “For me, there was no other option than to choose a university with a major engineering school in the middle of a city under massive rebuild.”

Briar has also been accepted into Wairoa District Council’s summer internship programme involving geographic information systems (GIS) mapping. She says the unpaid internship will set her up well for entering a second year at university in 2015.

Gisborne’s Sam Godwin has received Eastland Group’s scholarship for the past two years. He is studying at the University of Canterbury towards a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) specialising in Civil Engineering.

Sam captained the under 19 Canterbury rugby team to win the South Island Championship in 2014, and was also this year named in New Zealand’s under 20 training squad. He said the Eastland Group scholarship allowed him to train in Christchurch over the summer holidays rather than seek part time work.

“Academic studies continue to be a priority over my rugby so I am pleased the union is also encouraging me to continue with my study. Eastland Group has provided significant support towards my career aspirations over the past two years for which I am truly appreciative. If I didn’t have this support I’d have to find part time work during the year to compensate my university fees. This would result in less time studying and potentially a decrease in my grades.”

ENDS

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