Awarded on the evening of Thursday, 12 November at the Auckland University Rugby Football Club, Awanuiarangi, along with other recipient Auckland Grammar School student Antonio Ripata, was presented the Scholarship by Sir John Graham and Cathy Drake, wife of the late John Drake.
Both students impressed during the interview stage, and now join the outstanding group of scholars to represent the late John Drake and his old Auckland University Club, where they will play from 2016 onwards.
The Scholarship includes $5,000 towards their tuition fees, along with providing an opportunity to excel both on the field and in the classroom.
Both recipients have shone in their final year of high school; a Deputy Head Prefect, Awanuiarangi was a standout member of the First XV and Leader of the Kapa Haka group. This year he has also made the Auckland Under-18s and the Secondary Schools' 7s.
Awanuiarangi plans to study a conjoint degree of a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Law.
As a former pupil of King's School, Headmaster Mr Tony Sissons was incredibly delighted to hear of Awanuiarangi's success, and as a result has asked him to speak at the Year 8 Leavers' Dinner on Thursday, 3 December at Eden Park.
"King's Prep and King's College are both very important and significant places to me and I think of them as 'home'," says Awanuiarangi. "I was very proud and humbled to be asked to speak, as there are so many other great achievers that have left King's School."
The main theme Awanuiarangi will be talking about is attitude. He will also give the young boys advice for when they leave primary school, discuss what he has enjoyed most at King's Prep and King's College, his involvement in both the Kapa Haka and the First XV, the John Drake Memorial Scholarship, and what his plans are for the future.
Congratulations Awanuiarangi for these most amazing achievements. We wish you all the very best for your speech at the Dinner next Thursday.
