Media Release for immediate use: Tuesday 30 October 2007
Mike Pero Mortgages Announces Scholarship Winners
Three outstanding Year 13 high school students are the recipients of Mike Pero Mortgages’ Foundation tertiary education
scholarships for the 2008 year.
“We are delighted to announce the three winners who will receive scholarships of $10,000, $5000 and $2500, which we are
sure will give them a financial head start to their university education,” says Jeff Staniland, Chief Executive Officer
of Mike Pero Mortgages.
Johnathan O’Grady, who is in his final year of study at De La Salle College in Manukau, Auckland, was named the overall
winner and has been awarded the $10,000 tertiary scholarship, which he will put towards his commerce degree at Auckland
University next year.
Benjamin Frank from Tauranga Boys College was awarded the $5000 scholarship which he will put towards a Bachelor of
Surveying at the University of Otago.
Zinet Mohamed from Papatoetoe High School in Mangere, Auckland, was the recipient of a $2,500 scholarship which she will
use for her Bachelor of Heath Sciences degree at Auckland University.
Jeff Staniland says the selection panel had a very difficult, but ultimately very satisfying and enjoyable, task to
select three final candidates from over 550 applications. He says the standard of applications was very impressive.
“The three scholarship recipients, Johnathan, Benjamin and Zinet, are very talented students and we believe they will
perform very well at university. They are all well-rounded individuals who are committed to giving something back to the
community,” he says.
“The aim of the Mike Pero Mortgages Foundation and the Scholarship Programme is to encourage young New Zealanders to
reach their full potential in their chosen area of study. We believe that by giving them a financial head start that
they may be able to make their goals and aspirations a reality.”
The Scholarship Programme is a nationwide initiative open to all New Zealand students, aged between 17 and 25, embarking
on their first year of tertiary study. It was launched by the Mike Pero Foundation to deliver programmes to benefit the
community.
Applicants were required to complete an application form outlining their academic, cultural and community achievements
and interests, as well as their intended course of study and why they had chosen it.
Jeff Staniland says that the Scholarship Programme has proven to be very successful since it was first introduced two
years ago.
“We are thrilled with the response we’ve had from students from around the country. In the first year we received 60
applications and this year we got over 550. This Programme is going from strength to strength and we are committed to
continue providing options for students who show a real dedication to their studies and who may find the cost of quality
tertiary education prohibitive,” he says.
ends