Source: Eastern Bay Courier
An Eastern Bays student is the country's Top Scholar in Scholarship Drama.
Dilworth recently celebrated high-achieving students at its annual Top Scholars Awards evening. Many students attained outstanding results in their NCEA exams.
One student in particular, Aliki Wilson-Lousi, received a standing ovation from staff, students, and whānau as he walked across the stage to receive his medal for becoming the country's Top Scholar in Scholarship Drama.
Wilson-Lousi said he discovered the news while sitting on the couch with his mum.
“I was nervously checking my screen to check my NCEA results,” he said.
“When the page loaded, I thought it was a mistake. I was stunned. I couldn't process it. I kept checking - it said a mark out of 24, and it said 24. I scrolled down and saw ‘Top Scholar.' That's when it sunk in.”
As a Year 12 student at the time of the exams, Wilson-Lousi also achieved excellence endorsements across all his Level 2 subjects: Physics, Economics, English, Music, and Drama.
The multi-talented student excels academically, but his heart lies in the performing arts.
He is a member of Dilworth's choir and recently played Bert in the Dilworth/Diocesan production of Mary Poppins. Earlier this year, he helped his Dilworth team win first and second in the Sheila Winn Shakespeare Festival, Auckland (SGCNZ); Wilson-Lousi himself awarded the Most Outstanding Individual Performer award.
That performance earned him direct entry into the National Secondary Schools Shakespeare Company and the remarkable opportunity to perform at the Globe Theatre in London.
“It's a dream come true, but now I need to fund-raise to make it a reality,” he said.
Of Tongan and New Zealand European heritage, Wilson-Lousi was extremely proud to be the country's only Top Scholar of Tongan descent. He recently received his Top Scholar award at a ceremony at Government House, presented by the Minister of Education, Erica Stanford.
The future shines brightly for Wilson-Lousi, who dreams of attending an Ivy League university in America, potentially exploring physics, philosophy or classics; hopeful to go further and get a scholarship for a Master's in performing arts.