A $20,000 university scholarship has given a Far North teenager the chance to begin pursuing his dream of becoming a neurosurgeon.
Seventeen-year-old Whiti Hoori (Ngāpuhi, Te Kapotai), who lives at Waikare, on the back road between Kawakawa and Russell, won the University of Auckland Top Achiever Award on the back of his school results.
The Year 13 student spends three hours a day travelling to and from school because he specifically wanted a Catholic education. Pompallier College in Whangārei was his only option in Northland.
The scholarship includes $15,000 to cover the cost of accommodation in a hall of residence, and $5000 for other expenses.
In February he will begin a Bachelor of Health Sciences degree, with a view to studying medicine and eventually becoming a neurosurgeon.