Premier scholar applauded

Don Scott/The Press

BRIGHT SPARK: Super scholar Tom Wilkinson, of Papanui High School, is heading off to university with an extra spring in his step.

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Super scholar Tom Wilkinson is moving to Dunedin today with a $30,000 spring in his step.

Wilkinson, 18, found out yesterday he had been awarded one of 10 premier scholar awards for his outstanding achievements in the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) last year.

He earned four outstanding scholarships in chemistry, physics, calculus and statistics and a straightforward scholarship in history.

Outstanding scholarships are awarded in each subject to the top 0.4 per cent of students entered. A regular scholarship goes to the top 3 per cent entered. Only the top students are encouraged to enter scholarship examinations.

"That is phenomenal," Papanui High School principal Denis Pyatt said of his top student's list of achievements.

"We're pleased for him because he's a hell of a nice young man who has got a wonderful intellect. And who, I think partially because of the school he has come to, is not at all in the nerdy category."

Wilkinson plays the trumpet and has been in the Christchurch Youth Orchestra for two years.

He was also active organising and participating in debating and was the student representative on the school's board of trustees.

"He's a busy man, but a well-rounded person. We're delighted that he's got it," Pyatt said.

The premier award entitles Wilkinson to $10,000 each year for three years to help pay fees and living costs for his studies at the University of Otago.

He is studying health sciences with an eye on admission to study medicine next year.

"I want to be out there working with people," he said.

When the results appeared online on Wednesday, Wilkinson was at first disappointed.

"The first result I saw was biology and that was no award, which I was sort of disappointed about. And then I saw outstanding for chemistry and then the outstandings kept building up," he said.

His mother, Lynette Murdoch, said the family was "blown away" by her son's success.

"He works very hard and I suspect he was aiming for that but really, to get there is amazing," Murdoch said.