Cambridge, here she comes

By STUART DYE education reporter

Most 18-year-olds celebrate their birthday with their first legal drink, but Sonia Bracegirdle spent the day being grilled by a seven-man panel of the country's leading educational thinkers.

The sacrifice paid off, though, and the former Epsom Girls Grammar School student was yesterday awarded a $200,000 scholarship to Cambridge University in Britain.

Sonia is the fourth winner of the prestigious Douglas Myers Scholarship and will head to Gonville and Caius College to do a BA (Hons) in natural sciences.

"The interview was pretty nerve-racking but it was worth it for this amazing opportunity," she said.

In addition to her outstanding academic record - Sonia scored 464 in Bursary last year, including first in New Zealand in chemistry with 96 per cent - the dux of Epsom is an accomplished triathlete and cyclist, and also plays the piano and sings.

She is studying biochemistry, statistics and physics at the University of Auckland before heading to Cambridge in September.

"I'm looking forward to it and will go with my family, who have never been to the UK, so we will all do the tourist thing before study starts," said Sonia.

The award was established in 2000 to enable top students to study at Britain's joint-top university, eventually bringing back what they have learned to benefit New Zealand.

Sonia hopes to return and work in research, "possibly surrounding GE".

The three past scholarship winners - Ruvin Mendis, Pascal Millaire and Irene Klymchuk - are all still at Cambridge and immersing themselves in university life.

The scholarship was presented yesterday at the Viaduct Harbour by the man who established the $3 million award, businessman Doug Myers.

He said Sonia "had that extra spark that marked her out in both her academic success and her personality".