Congratulations to Sophie Mance who has been awarded the prestigious 2020 Girdlers’ Scholarship.
This will enable her to study Natural Sciences at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Sophie completed Year 13 in 2019 and was awarded a number of prizes, including Hankin’s Bequest (Proxime Accessit to the Dux). This is the only scholarship of this nature awarded in New Zealand in a year.
Sophie attended Wellington High School for three years, having previously studied at the British School in the Netherlands. She achieved excellence endorsements in six NCEA Level 3 subjects across a wide spectrum of subjects and Scholarship in seven subjects. She captained team New Zealand at the 2019 International Young Physicists’ Tournament, in Warsaw (winning silver medals), as well as receiving first equal in her class at the Wellington NIWA science fair. Sophie is a keen flautist who has played in the Wellington Youth Sinfonietta; a committed and active Peer Supporter at school, an organiser of the Wellington Climate Challenge Conference and has been a member of the New Zealand Junior Women’s Ultimate frisbee team since 2018 when she competed in the World Junior Ultimate Championships in Canada.
According to the Universities NZ media release [9 April 2020]:
“This is the 56th scholarship that The Worshipful Company of Girdlers has awarded to a New Zealand student. Administered by Universities New Zealand, the scholarship is funded by The Worshipful Company of Girdlers, which traces its foundation back to medieval times as a craftsmen’s guild. It awards one scholarship per year to an outstanding New Zealand school student to undertake a degree at Cambridge University.
Valued at approximately £35,000 (NZ$67,000) per year, the scholarship will pay for Sophie’s university and college fees and contribute to her living costs while studying.
In announcing the decision on behalf of the Company, Past Master Lord Strathalmond says, “The Company is delighted to award Sophie this scholarship, as she embodies the qualities we seek. She has the academic ability to perform well at Corpus Christi College, and the ambition to take full advantage of this extraordinary opportunity. We will watch her progress with interest and support her during her time at Cambridge.”
So well deserved – and we are very proud of you, Sophie, and wish you all the best!