NCWNZ Whanganui Branch plans to have its annual Scholarship evening on 20th September to celebrate the winner of the Wynne Costley Literary Research Scholarship. Students are required to complete a research essay on a New Zealand woman of the past or present who has achieved and contributed in a distinct definable way to New Zealand society.

This is the sixth year we have been holding the Wynne Costley Literary Research Scholarship; and, two schools, Whanganui High and Collegiate, have been participating since 2018. Wynne Costley was a valued member of our NCWNZ branch and was a teacher of English, Latin and French. She strongly believed in encouraging her students to aim high academically. She died in 1998 and bequeathed a considerable sum of money to the branch and the Scholarship is in memory of her.

We plan to have as our guest speaker, a student from Whanganui Girls College who we funded to attend a “Hands on” week at Otago University in January 2024. Her “taster” subjects were Chemistry and Geography. She attended our NCWNZ meeting in June to report back. Her presentation was very well received, and it was decided she would be an inspiration to the students involved in the Scholarship evening, hence the invitation.

To read more articles from The Circular (July-August 2024) issue 648, click on the tag below.