Engineering a bright future

Kyra Ng began secondary school during a pandemic, but now she’s finishing off on a high as the 2024 Nelson College for Girls’ Dux.

The budding engineer says she wasn’t expecting the honour.

“I was honestly quite surprised; I did not really expect it. My friends were telling me that they thought that it was possibly going to be me, but it felt like lots of people were in the running for it.”

On top of achieving the Atmore Memorial Scholarship and Christie Award to the Dux of the College, she has been awarded one of six $5000 Edna Waddell Undergraduate Scholarship for Women in Technology and Engineering.

She was also awarded a Leaders of Tomorrow Entrance Scholarship at the University of Otago, but has decided to pursue engineering at the University of Canterbury next year.

This year, Kyra placed first in English, first in physics and second in biology. She also did a first year university paper in mathematics and was sitting on an A+ after scoring 97 per cent in her mid-year exam at the end of the first semester.

Some of her highlights of college have been the social aspect of school life, the supportive teachers, and the extension she has received.

“I’ve had an amazing friend group going through school, and I have found it good that I have gotten some extension in terms of going up some years in subjects. The teachers are really lovely and the general support has been great.”

Kyra also led the creative writing group at the college and was involved in the social services committee and enviro group, as well as tutoring.

Born in Wellington, Kyra lived in Ōtaki and then moved abroad with her family to Cambodia, Thailand and Germany, where she went to Bavarian International School. When she moved to Nelson, she attended Riwaka School.

She has two younger siblings – a brother at Nayland College and a sister at Nelson College for Girls, who Kyra says is also “very academic”.

Kyra has also discovered a love for bouldering this year and has quickly become “kind of obsessed” with it.

“I go so often, it’s great.”

Kyra says it’s a bit surreal to leave school but is excited to see what the future brings.

“I feel like it still hasn’t fully processed that I’m done forever.”

She is now headed on a trip around New Zealand before finding a job for the summer.