Drew Porter, Ashburton College’s top Year 11 student for 2019. Photo Sue NewmanWhen her name was called as the top Year 11 student for Ashburton College, no one was more surprised than Drew Porter.

She knew she’d put in a year of hard work, but winning both the top scholar award and the top scholar in English prize were an unexpected reward.

“I enjoy school and had really good teachers this year and I suppose I do work hard and put a lot of time and effort into study, but this was a real surprise, I didn’t really think I’d get this,” she said.

English is her favourite subject, and next year she’ll be adding maths, biology, chemistry economics and geography to her study list. A

nd while she won’t be focused on prizes at the end of that year, Drew said taking out the top Year 12 scholar award would be a great goal to work towards.

School is not the only thing on Drew’s agenda as when she’s not studying she’s heavily involved with St John.

This year she was selected as a member of the South Island team to compete in the national championships and that involved many hours of study and practical work.

It also meant her favourite sport, netball, had to be shelved for the year.

“I was away nearly every weekend at the start of the year as part of the Auckland competition,” she said.

Drew finished in 5th place as an individual and was part of the South Island team that finished 4th in the event.

While she still has another two years of secondary study, Drew is looking ahead to life after school. Currently she’s considering law as a career option.

With exams still to complete, she is looking ahead to the summer holidays and hopes she can boost her cash reserves with work on the family farm.

By Sue Newman © The Ashburton Guardian - 8 November 2019