A Year 13 Te Puke High School student has won a $5000 scholarship to put towards her tertiary education after impressing the Mike Pero Mortgages Foundation selection panel for the 2010 Scholarship Programme.


Aroha Clarke.

Te Puke High School head girl Aroha Clarke was awarded the $5000 scholarship, which she will use for a Bachelor of Communications at Massey University in Albany.
Aroha says she was overwhelmed when she found out she had won the scholarship.
'I felt so honoured to be one of the scholarship winners. Out of a whole nation and so many amazing people who applied for the Mike Pero Mortgages Scholarship; to be awarded a scholarship is absolutely fantastic.”
Mum welled up with tears when I told her. It's such a relief for her as it takes the financial pressure away. She really is very grateful for that.
I would've had to find a job and my results would have suffered because of the need for me to work as well. My family can't support me, so the scholarship really is such a relief for us,” says Aroha.
Mike Pero Mortgages CEO Shaun Riley says the aim of the Mike Pero Mortgages Foundation Scholarship programme is to encourage young New Zealanders to reach their full potential in their chosen area of study.
'We believe that by giving them a financial head start they will be able to make their goals and aspirations a reality,” says Shaun.