Peria teen wins first scholarship

Rewa Parsonson has a passion for sustainable energy. Photo / Top Energy

Top Energy's chief executive Russell Shaw is aware of the irony that the winner of the lines company's inaugural engineering scholarship lives off-grid, with power supplied by a micro-hydro unit and solar panels.

After a tough and competitive selection process, the scholarship, worth $8000 per annum for up to four years, has been won by 17-year-old Kaitaia College student Rewa Parsonson.

Mr Shaw said he was impressed by the calibre of the applicants, and encouraged to see the degree of interest shown by local students in the scholarship programme.

Twenty applications were received, all demonstrating a high level of talent and skill across a number of disciplines, but it was Rewa's commitment to engineering as a career that stood out.

"Not only are we interested in academic achievement, but students must have a genuine interest and passion to study in the field of engineering and to continue working in that field upon completion of their study," Mr Shaw said.

"Rewa has given a great deal of thought to his future, and is also thinking of studying commerce to add to his professional skill set and employability. He is certainly a very focused young man."

Having helped to maintain and install his parents' off-grid power system on their 200ha Peria farm, it was unsurprising that Rewa was interested in sustainable and renewable forms of energy, he added.

He had chosen to study electrical engineering, a field that he believed would give him the knowledge and experience to contribute to the challenges facing the energy sector, at Auckland University.

"Renewable energy is a pioneering field of engineering, and presents a multitude of possible job opportunities. Also, due to the increasing growth and interest in renewable energy, it presents many business possibilities," he said.

"Rewa brings a pragmatism and hands-on knowledge to his chosen field of study, and is adept at problem-solving. He praises Kiwi ingenuity, which he has clearly been exposed to growing up on land maintained through permaculture principles since 1990 with edible landscapes, native forest conservation, sustainable forestry and eco buildings."

Top Energy's scholarship was aimed at assisting Far North students who wished to pursue an engineering (honours) degree, and who had already achieved an excellent academic record. Applications would be welcomed again in October 2017.

The scholarship is part of a suite of sponsorship initiatives offered by Top Energy for the benefit of the Far North community.

They include the Electricity rescue helicopter and the Top Energy Business Development Fund, which offers grants to existing or new businesses that have the potential to grow the economy in the Far North.

- For more information on the engineering scholarship go to www.topenergy.co.nz/sponsorship/36990