O utstanding Scholar Janindu Pahalawatta (15150) believes there is a lesson in “dreaming big” after earning spectacular NZQA Scholarship success. The Outstanding Scholar Award recognises the top students in New Zealand, with Janindu being awarded Scholarship in six subjects, entitling the talented University of Otago health sciences student to $15,000 over the next three years. Janindu also topped the table for College, winning Scholarship in English, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Calculus, and an Outstanding Scholarship in Statistics in 2021. “I genuinely thought it might have been a mistake generalising – instead of focusing on a few subjects – but it worked out in the end,” Janindu says of his remarkable results last year. “Maybe there’s a lesson about dreaming big in there?” He adds that “a massive network of teachers, friends, and family members” has supported his achievement and, more importantly, “shaped me into who I am”. “I am truly indebted to every one of you.” Janindu, who hopes to study
medicine and become a psychiatrist, credits several teachers for supporting his Scholarship goals. “College runs Biology and
While he welcomes the Outstanding Scholar Award and University of Otago Academic Excellence Entrance Scholarship, Janindu does not define himself by awards. “The Scholar Award and my University of Otago Academic Excellence Entrance Scholarship mean that my university fees are mostly covered for a few years, so I don't have to worry too much. It’s honestly a big relief. “However, I’ve never been one to define myself based on what I have – or haven’t – been awarded,” he says. As for what he would tell his Year 9 self? “Probably try and keep an eye out for your ‘why’. It took me a while to find my ‘why’ – the reason to do anything – mostly because I didn’t realise I needed one. I suppose my ‘why’ really comes down to healing people, and helping them get on with their lives. It would be great to be someone who can help others get through that suffering and back into enjoying their lives.” However, his favourite piece of advice comes from tutor Ruth Simms: “There's no correct way of living life, so the best we can do is just try.”
Chemistry Scholarship sessions, so I went along to those every week,” he says. “Those sessions were really beneficial, because (Heads of Department) Dr Graeme Swanson and Scott Franklin really knew what they were doing – not just in terms of content, but how the exams worked. HoD David Newton also set up a weekly Physics meet-up to connect Scholarship students. Bouncing ideas off each other and learning from each other really does help. “Calculus was more self-study, cramming an entire textbook’s worth of content leading up to my exam. What helped me a lot here was, again, co-operation. Fellow Year 13 James Currie really got me through a lot of the content. Most of the Scholarship Statistics skills were developed in class and thanks to Dr Tom Hawkins for going in depth with internals.” For English Scholarship, Janindu worked with (former Head of Department) Sian Evans but “the most guidance came from English tutor Ruth Simms, who went above and beyond to put me in a place to succeed”.
COLLEGE 2022
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