Diana Barbu. Photo supplied.Top-performing Ashburton College student Diana Barbu had claimed a prestigious science scholarship and will spend most of August tackling neurophysiology and other topics in Germany.

She is just one of two New Zealand students to earn the Royal Society of New Zealand scholarship, which covers 70 per cent of her course and flights costs at the science camp.

Diana, a Year 13 student, has chosen neurophysiology as her favoured topic and hopes to study something similar at university next year.

At the camp she will be working in research labs with hi-tech equipment.

“Maths has always been my preferred subject, even right from primary school, but during the last few years with the introduction of classroom science, a whole new world has opened up.

“Before Year 9 I hadn’t really been exposed to science and now I don’t know where I would be without it.”

She will also enjoy some leisure time in Germany and will meet up with the host family she stayed with in early 2017, after winning another study scholarship.

Diana is fluent in German after studying the language for a number of years.

She was the top academic achiever at Ashburton College in both Year 10 and Year 12.

© The Ashburton Courier - 6 June 2018