Hon Hekia Parata
Minister of Education

7 May 2014

NZ’s top scholarship student recognised

Former Auckland Grammar School student Byung-Cheol Cho has been awarded this year’s Prime Minister’s Award for Academic Excellence at the annual NZQA Top Scholar Award ceremony held at Parliament today.

Education Minister Hekia Parata congratulated Byung-Cheol on winning the award, which recognises the success of the New Zealand Scholarship student who showed the highest overall level of academic excellence in 2013.

“Byung-Cheol achieved an incredible seven New Zealand Scholarships, including five Outstanding Scholarships,” Ms Parata says. “Additionally, he distinguished himself as a good leader, musician and sportsman during his secondary school career.”

Byung-Cheol will be studying at Princeton University in the United States this year with a goal to complete a PhD in biomedical engineering and contribute to the development of medical devices.

“I look forward to seeing that goal realised and wish him all the best for his future academic success,” Ms Parata says.

Byung-Cheol achieved Outstanding Scholarships in Calculus, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, Physics, and Statistics and Scholarships in Geography and Spanish. He was also the Top Subject Scholar for Earth and Space Science.

Ms Parata also presented 10 Premier Awards at the ceremony and NZQA Board Chair Sue Suckling presented 35 Top Subject Scholar Awards. Prime Minister John Key presented the Award for Academic Excellence.

Recipients of Premier Awards and the Prime Minister’s Award for Academic Excellence are recommended to NZQA by an expert panel of academics. The recipients can be found here: www.nzqa.govt.nz/about-us/news/new-zealand-scholarship-award-winners/

ENDS

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