Central Lakes Trust celebrates 20 years of scholarships with support for 68 local students
Central Lakes Trust (CLT) has marked a significant milestone, celebrating 20 years of its scholarship programme by awarding $170,000 in scholarships to 68 outstanding students from across the Central Lakes region.
The students were recognised at CLT's annual Scholarship Awards, where each recipient received a $2,500 scholarship to support their tertiary studies, apprenticeships, training, or future career pathways.
Over the past two decades, CLT's scholarship programme has become a valued investment in local youth, providing financial support to hundreds of students as they pursue their ambitions beyond school. The scholarships recognise not only academic achievement, but also leadership, community contribution, personal character, and commitment to future goals. Recipients are selected by their respective schools.
Linda Robertson, CLT Chair, said reaching the programme's 20-year milestone was an important achievement and a reflection of CLT's long-term commitment to young people across the region.
"This programme was established to help remove barriers for local students taking their next step in education or training. Since then, we've had the privilege of supporting nearly 900 talented young people as they've gone on to make meaningful contributions in their communities and professions."
The annual scholarship programme remains one of CLT's longest-running initiatives. This year marks 20 years of scholarship support, with more than 880 students receiving assistance and more than $2.2 million invested in local young people since the programme began.
2026 Scholarship recipients
CROMWELL COLLEGE
Ollie Dicey
Hans Handugan
Hannah Kerruish
James Livingstone
Molly Mexted
Meabh Naylor
Brooke Webb
DUNSTAN HIGH SCHOOL
Nate Alexander
Sophie Avenell
Olave Czepanski
Harper Donnelly
Avie Morgan
Jelena Morrell
Tahlia Sangster
Eve Sinnamon
Heidi Winter
TE KURA O TITITEA MOUNT ASPIRING COLLEGE
Mikayla Botting
Rāhana Brett
Kasey Brooks
Sam Harper
Alianna Hay
Belinda Hope
Alex Kettle
Phoebe Laker
Madi Lovelock
Dani Maguire
Sophia Menlove
Toby Mills
Noah Moody
Francesca Peters
Nico Pettit
Jack Sides
Olive Sinclair
Caroline Smith
Ruby Smith
Rhian Telfer
Kaitlyn Tooley
ROXBURGH AREA SCHOOL
Meg Beaumont
TE AHO O TE KURA POUNAMU
Lachlin Geck
Clover Hamilton
Mathilda Watterson
Priya White
WAKATIPU HIGH SCHOOL
Toa Ashby
Abigail Batstone
Louis Buchanan
Nicole Carey
Oscar Childs
Max Davis
Orlando de Torres
Jasper Dorn
Sabine Edmonds
Leila Franklin
Cameron Hall
Finn Henderson
Esther Ide
Aily Joll
Haru Kuroe
Isla McGlynn
Eve Pagan
Nathaniel Patrick
Ankita Pilo
Alisa Schenk
Zara Small
Kelsey Strudwicke
Eva Tilsley
Kara Trounce
Thomasin Wright
Matheus Zanon Moreira
