Hayes Knight Emerging Talent Awards 2011

 

Alexandra Foster (20)

Dancer/Singer/Actress

Alexandra first found her love for music as a student at Takapuna Normal Intermediate School where she learnt the piano and guitar and joined the school’s rock band. In 2003, she received the Vocal Cup at the school’s prizegiving and started private singing lessons before beginning at Rangitoto College.  
In 2005, Alexandra moved to The Corelli School of the Arts where her main focus was acting.  After graduating from the school at age 17, she auditioned in Australia for a place at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts, one of the world’s most prestigious acting schools.
A short time later, she was accepted into Auckland’s Apollo Theatre School where she discovered a love for dancing and learnt the different dance styles of jazz, ballet, tap, hip-hop, funk and cabaret.  Next, Alexandra pursued musical theatre and, through the Apollo Theatre School, received many professional opportunities.  In her second year, she was cast as the lead in the show The Love Cruise, based on the famous 80s television series The Love Boat, and most recently has been starring as a lead in Anything Goes, receiving great reviews.
Her latest and most exciting project has been her girl pop group Sugarfix. Formed in late 2010, the group writes and records its own music. 
Alexandra intends to use her AIMES Awards funds to further her experiences in the world of musical theatre and recording professionally. 

 

Adam Gerret (19)

Actor/Musician

Adam’s academic and performing career started at Northcote College in 2005, where initially he took drama solely out of interest and to compliment his heavy academic timetable.
Over the next few years, he became as involved as possible in drama both at the school and at various North Shore venues. He was involved in Northcote College’s Stage Challenge entry each year, the national Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Competition, the Northcote Talent Quest, various school plays, and productions at The Rose Theatre, The Pumphouse, Devonport Theatre Company and Titirangi Theatre.
Musically talented, Adam also played lead trumpet for the Northcote College Jazz Band for five years, and played The Last Post at the Northcote Anzac Memorial Service for the last three years of his school life.
During year 13 at Northcote College, he completed NCEA Level 3 Drama with Excellence and managed to secure an NZQA Drama Scholarship.  He was also thrilled to receive the Northcote College Drama Prize.
Adam has recently been awarded a highly sought-after place at Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London, an outstanding achievement given that he was one of more than 2300 candidates applying for just 26 places on the three-year acting course. Guildhall is also a School of Music and Adam hopes to have the opportunity to further develop his musical talents whilst there.  
Ultimately, he looks forward to representing New Zealand and the North Shore on the stage. 

 

Seok Jun Bing (18)

Scientist

Seok Jun Bing is currently a student at Albany Senior High School.  He topped his year level at years 11 and 12, and aims to graduate this year with the Dux Award.
Alongside his studies, Seok Jun has been working with a friend to develop a working prototype of a carbon dioxide filter for cars with internal combustion engines. This project was done under the Team Gold CREST programme run by the Royal Society of New Zealand and is a progression from a previous project that he completed for Team Silver CREST in which he successfully produced a filter capable of absorbing carbon dioxide production from the respiration of two people.
His project to produce a CO2 filter for cars has been entered in a global science fair called Google Science Fair 2011 and was selected as one of the top 60 semi-finalists from 7500 projects entered by more than 10,000 students from around the globe.  Seok’s project was the only one to be chosen in Oceania and has subsequently received much recognition in New Zealand and internationally.
Seok Jun likes to innovate and embark on projects that have the potential to have big impact on a global scale. He would like to consider himself as a creative scientist and an innovator who has the desire to change the world.
His AIMES Award will help him with purchasing equipment and materials to further develop the filter. 

 

Aine Kelly-Costello (16)

Musician

A current student at Pinehurst School, Aine has always regarded music as an indispensable part of her life.  This passion started at age four when she was living in Ireland and showed a keen interest in the flute while visiting a friend.  In later years, she moved to Canada and then to New Zealand.
Aine is blind.  Initially, she could not read Braille music so she learned all of her music by ear.  She started sitting piano exams at age seven.
Then, as a nine-year-old, she was extremely grateful to be given the opportunity to learn Braille music.  This meant she could read music by herself which, in turn, allowed her to glean significantly more information about the music and more easily determine her own interpretations.
A dedicated flute player, Aine spends many hours memorising pieces and is currently working towards her ABRSM Diploma exam which she plans to sit at the end of 2011. Looking further ahead, she intends to take flute playing professionally and would like to study for a BMus, majoring in flute performance, as well as a BA majoring in Spanish and English literature.
In addition to Aine’s musical abilities, she also achieves incredible results at school and is an outstanding swimmer who has been  selected for the Paralympics New Zealand team to compete at the Pan-Pacific Champs in Alberta, and unofficially ranked in the top five in the world for S11 400m freestyle and 100m backstroke and 8th for 100m freestyle.
Aine intends to spend her AIMES Award on a Piccolo, ABRSM Diploma costs and a new Flute. 

 

Lydia Ko (14)

Golfer

Pinehurst School student, Lydia Ko, is described as ‘a golfing phenomenon’.
After moving to New Zealand, she began playing golf as a five-year-old and, in May 2011, at the age of 14 years and 1 day, became the youngest person to be ranked Number 1 Female Amateur in the World.
At age 12, Lydia became the youngest-ever member of the New Zealand Srixon Academy, New Zealand’s national squad, and – in Christchurch – became the youngest person ever to make the cut in a Ladies European Tour event.
Early in 2011, she narrowly missed making history: on the last hole of the New South Wales Open in Sydney, she missed the title by just one putt. Winning would have seen her become the youngest winner in a professional event anywhere in the world.
As well as practicing golf at the Institute of Golf for 30 to 40 hours a week, Lydia manages to find balance between her golfing and academic life, and maintains great grades at school.
She says her most spectacular shot was in 2010 when she holed a 30-foot putt to win the New Zealand Interprovincials for North Harbour.
Lydia has travelled with the New Zealand team to Argentina, India and Australia on numerous occasions, always loving to wear the New Zealand silver fern and represent her country.  She hopes to turn professional in 2014. 

 

Rebecca Dubber (18)

Swimmer

Rebecca is a current student at Carmel College.  A paralympic swimmer, she is a level 2 carded athlete with the Academy of Sport and a member of the Paralympics New Zealand High Performance Programme.
In March 2010, Rebecca achieved a world record in the Women’s s7 800m Freestyle. She holds New Zealand records in the Women’s s7 800m, 400m, 200m, 100m and 50m Freestyle and the Women’s s7 200m, 100m and 50m Backstroke. She also holds the Oceania record in the Women’s s7 100m Freestyle.
Her current dream is to represent New Zealand at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London where she aspires to achieve medals in the Women’s s7 400m Freestyle and the Women’s s7 100m Backstroke in which she also hopes to break the world record.
Rebecca would like to continue swimming after the 2012 Paralympics and compete in the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. 

 

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The 2010 Winners were:- 

The winners each received $4000 for exceptional achievement in one of the categories covered by the Emerging Talent Awards – the Arts; Information Technology, Innovation and Science; Performing Arts, Music; Education; Sport and Community Service. The awards were presented at a cocktail function at The Spencer on Byron Hotel, Takapuna.

FOR A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY ON EACH RECIPIENT, PLEASE SEE BELOW.

JOSEPH BERGIN (18)

Although Deputy Head Boy at Rosmini College and involved in an extraordinary number of extra-curricular activities, Joseph has an outstanding commitment to work in the community. This began in 2007 with Shore Youth Bank, now Youth Fund and includes youth representative roles on the Birkenhead/Northcote Community Board, NSCC Community Service & Parks Committee, Takapuna Community Board and Takapuna 20/20. He served for two years as a North Shore Youth Councillor and is chairman of the Takapuna Youth Forum. He volunteers at De Paul House and was recently elected to the Devonport/Takapuna Local Board. Joseph intends to practice civil law as a human rights specialist and hopes one day to enter Parliament.

 

MADDIE DILLON (17)

In Year 12 at Kristin School, Maddie represented New Zealand at the Youth Olympics, Singapore, winning a team silver medal and 8th placing in the Sprint Triathlon. She was selected for the Women’s Elite U19 Team for the World Championships, Budapest and is the youngest in the Triathlon New Zealand 2016 Olympic High Performance Squad. Her 2009/2010 results include: 2009 World Age Group Sprint Champion (16-19 years); 2010 NZ Secondary Schools U19 Triathlon Champion; 2010 Auckland Secondary Schools U19 Triathlon Champion; 2009/10 Stroke & Stride Series, 3rd Open Woman; NZ Secondary Schools Individual Championships, 1st in time trials; 3rd in hill climb (Cycling); NZ Secondary School Road Champs – U17 Road Champion (Cycling). Maddie hopes to represent New Zealand at the 2016 Olympic Games, the Olympic distance ITU circuit and at World Championship events.

 

CHLOE FRANCIS (17)

A student at Rangitoto College, Chloe recently returned from the Youth Olympics, Singapore, with 5th placing in the 200m Individual Medley and 8th in the 100m breaststroke semi-final. She is in the New Zealand high performance squad and holds numerous Auckland and national records. In 2009, she won 10 golds at the New Zealand national age groups championships and achieved impressive results in breaststroke and freestyle events at the Junior Pan Pacific championships, Guam. In the Trans Tasman tri series, she won three breaststroke and three individual medley events. At the New Zealand national age group championships in March 2010, Chloe was Swimmer of the Meet, winning all her individual events and breaking three national age group records including one of 28 years standing. She won her first national open title at the New Zealand Open National Championships in April.

 

MICHAEL MACDONALD (18)

A former Rangitoto College student, Michael is in his first year of a BE (Hons) degree at the University of Auckland. Through the Faculty of Engineering’s Accelerated Pathway programme, he is studying at second year level to complete his engineering degree in three years rather than four. As a condition of this programme, he is expected to maintain high enough grades to achieve First Class Honours and currently has a grade point average of 8.83 out of 9, achieving five A+ grades and one A grade. While at Rangitoto College Michael’s achievements included: New Zealand Outstanding Scholar 2009 (awarded to the top 50 students who sat NZQA Scholarship Exams); NZQA Outstanding Scholarship in Biology (for achievement in the top 0.3% of students); NZQA Scholarships in Chemistry, Science, Physics and Mathematics with Calculus (for achievement in the top 3% of students) and NCEA Levels 1, 2 & 3 achieved with Excellence.

 

STEPHANIE MITCHELL (23)

A former student at Kristen and Takapuna Grammar schools, Stephanie studied at the University of Auckland between 2005 and 2010 and achieved: a BE with First Class Honours, gaining 8 A- grades, 9 A grades and 20 A+ grades; a Master of Engineering with First Class Honours (Grade A); was on the Deans Honours List for 2005, 2007, 2008 and received a Senior Prize in Civil Engineering in Year 3 (2007) & Year 4 (2008). In 2010 Stephanie was awarded a Fulbright Ministry of Research Science and Technology Graduate Award, and the William H Pickering Fellowship and a Special Tuition Award, both from the California Institute of Technology. She recently commenced a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering at the California Institute of Technology. Stephanie hopes to have some involvement with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory which is located near the California Institute of Technology and her career objective is to become a research and development engineer.

 

THE NAKED & FAMOUS (22 to 24)

Originally from Rangitoto College, this five piece group has seen its popularity explode in New Zealand with the chart topping song 'Young Blood' in May 2010. The song achieved Gold sales status in just a month and received New Zealand's most prestigious songwriting award, the APRA Silver Scroll. The group released their debut album in September. The Naked and Famous are experiencing considerable interest from the global music industry with management company,CRS Music Management, reporting that they have never seen attention like this focussed on an artist from this country. This success is testament to the young group's song craft and recording talent, particularly when considering recordings are primarily made in 'home studios' in their North Shore bedrooms. They have two EP's under their belts, have played support for Nine Inch Nails and been regulars at local festivals including the Big Day Out, Rhythm & Vines, Laneways and Summer Series.

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