Déan van Deventer from Rathkeale College is the successful candidate for the 2009 Scholarship and he arrived at Shrewsbury School early in January.Déan’s impressive all-round academic achievements at school, including music and choir, his leadership roles as Prefect, Head of Sport and Captain of the 1st XI will, we are certain, ensure his success at Shrewsbury. In Déan’s own words……”It is such a wonderful opportunity and I’m honoured to be a part of the tradition. My aim is to be a good ambassador for Rathkeale and the James Meikle Trust…..”
Déan has played representative cricket since the age of 13 and has played for Under 15 and Under 17 Central Districts Teams as well as Wairarapa Senior Men’s Team. He will be involved with coaching at Shrewsbury and is hoping to play for a local team if his school commitments permit. With his talent in music he is sure to be of value to his House in their music competition.Shrewsbury School has agreed to accept another Scholarship Student for 2010 and at present the Trust is engaged in selection of a Student from Christ’s College.
Matt Brown, the first James Meikle Scholar in 2007 has completed his first year at Victoria University studying commercial law. He is very appreciative of the experience gained in his year as a Gap Tutor at Shrewsbury.
The Trustees are grateful for your continued interest and support of the James Meikle Shrewsbury Scholarship. The funds continue to be invested through ABN Amro Craigs under the guidance of Belinda Stanley.Déan's year at Shrewsbury School
In my last year at school the opportunity to have a year overseas was very much sprung on me. Having no idea what I wanted to do, applying for the James Meikle Scholarship seemed like a cool idea. It was only when I was awarded the scholarship that I began to realise what a wonderful opportunity this was.
The year I had at Shrewsbury and overseas can simply be described as awesome. I saw things, went places and did things that I could only dream about until now.
After a long flight to England I finally arrived at Shrewsbury School. I drove through the big school gates, and through a tree lined drive which opened up to offer a view of the top common which was spectacular I could see the cricket oval and pavilion and immediately I was excited about summer.
There were two other ‘Gappers’ as they called us: Steve the Aussie and Brad who was from St Pauls in Hamilton, New Zealand. Unfortunately Brad left early but Steve and I became great friends and I will hopefully be visiting him in Australia sometime this year. We worked predominantly in the sports department helping with coaching and the odd jobs around the place. A real highlight for me while I was at the school was watching the 1st XI Soccer and Cricket. The crowd chaos and support was so much fun to be part of.
One great thing about working at School was the amount of holiday we got. Every chance we got to explore the world, we took. My first school holiday was very memorable. Margo Balfour, Patrick Jeffrey and I, embarked on a two week adventure in Egypt; a place I had never imagined visiting. I rejoined Patrick several months later as we had once again planned the trip of a lifetime: 42 days travel around Europe, seeing some of the world’s most famous cities and landmarks.
My season with the 2nd XI team at Shrewsbury Cricket Club was another highlight and I thank them all so much for accommodating me. All too soon, however, our trip and my year had come to an end.
As I stepped back onto New Zealand soil and looked back over my year I feel confident that the year away and my experiences will stand me in good stead for the future. As I begin my law and science degrees at Canterbury University this year, I know that my year away has made me more independent and self sufficient. Hopefully it will help me in tough times to come.
I would like to thank the trustees of the James Meikle Scholarship for a magnificent experience. If it wasn’t for them the year would not have been possible. The list of things I’ve gained from this year is endless and I encourage every boy at Rathkeale in years to come to apply for this once in a lifetime opportunity.
