Rosa Cameron has lived in Tapawera’s rural surrounds all her life, and she was “very grateful and excited” to receive the local school’s highest honour at the end of last year.
The 17-year-old says her strong connection with Tapawera Area School’s teachers and peers since she was five, combined with her drive to succeed, made receiving the accolade special.
“I was very grateful and excited, it’s a huge thing for me to achieve [dux] in my last year.”
“I think having the right people around you is really important for getting there, but having a personal internal drive to put the effort in is also very important.
“I really enjoy the rural community… and that lifelong connection I’ve had with some people is one of the best parts about Tapawera.”
Rosa says she’d achieved an NCEA Level 3 excellence endorsement, and had achieved first at Tapawera in English, maths, biology, and physical education.
She has a slew of additional awards for her school services, including her striking volleyball performance on the national court, and representing her fellow students on the Board of Trustees.
Rosa was also awarded the $6000 University of Otago Dux Scholarship, which she says will financially boost her sport and exercise science studies in the Edinburgh of the South next year.
“As a first step I would like to gain my [Bachelor of Science], and after that I am not sure.
I think it’s likely that I will continue studying for longer, but I can’t say right now,” she says.
“I think the courses [at the University of Otago] were what I wanted to do, I have a sister already there [Hazel Cameron] which is helpful for familiarity, and ultimately, it’s experiencing something new, as [Dunedin’s] quite a different region to where I’ve grown up.”
