Alyce Lysaght - Photo Linda ClarkeAlyce Lysaght is interested in both politics and climate change. Combined, they could take her places.
Alyce, 18, leaves Ashburton College this year with the NBS Ashburton College Alumni scholarship and a host of other awards that reflect her hard work, great attitude and natural leadership.
She is concentrating on exams right now and heads to the University of Canterbury next year to study towards a degree in engineering. She is focussed on climate change and environmental engineering.
In her final year at college she has studied calculus, physics, chemistry, accounting and English, while being a co-leader of Green House and outside school heading the Ashburton Youth Council, which is an arm of the Ashburton District Council. She’s also held down part-time jobs at Kelly’s and the Regent Theatre.
As well as leaving the Year 13 awards ceremony with the alumni scholarship, she was also awarded the Zonta Club’s community services award, the Masonic Lodge scholarship and the EA Networks scholarship for a student entering the electrical industry.
The school says she is a natural leader whose behaviour is always mature and exemplary.
Alumni board chairman Alister Argyle agreed, saying Alyce had made a positive impression on all those she had met, balancing her studies and leadership roles.
The scholarship will help pay for the many textbooks she would need in her engineering studies.
“I really love calculus and physics. I have a methodical brain and I love processes and formulas and knowing how things work. Maybe I’ll do something to do with renewable energy, that goes hand in hand with climate change.”
Alyce said her busy life had been helped by supportive family, friends and teachers, in particular Claire Bedward and Stacey Monk who had helped her during the five years at college.
“I feel I have grown as a person with a lot more confidence, building friendships and connections.”
She and mum Kerri were quickly on Facebook after the prizegiving to share the good news with dad Jim, who is in Vietnam. Alyce will be joining him in December for a couple of weeks before returning for university.
She said her youth council role had sparked an interest in local body politics and the experience had been valuable.
The $1000 Ashburton College Alumni scholarship was made possible with the support of NBS Ashburton and its branch manager Rod Fox.

By Linda Clarke © AshColl Alumni - 10 November 2017