Waikato Hillary scholars let pens do the talking

When University of Waikato Sir Edmund Hillary scholars took part in a writing programme last month, they let their pens do the talking.

Twenty-four Hillary scholars took part in a nine-week writing programme which involved writing weekly letters to Year 5 and 6 students from Tamahere Model Country School.

Every Letter Counts

The programme aims to encourage students to understand the importance of writing by developing their grammar, punctuation and proof reading skills, and building their confidence in writing.

Among the Hillary scholars involved was law and management student David Dela Rue who says, “We were each partnered up with a buddy who had been identified as a student who has trouble with reading and writing.

“After the first two or three letters I became quite close with my buddy and I found myself wanting to know more about him and how he was getting on with writing and other stuff.”

Penpals 

Each week for nine weeks the Hillary scholars received and responded to letters from the Tamahere students, who then used the letters as examples for punctuation, grammar and word use.

“Over the course of the programme we all started to see improvements in the students’ writing which was really encouraging as we could see what we were doing was really helping them,” he says.

Dela Rue says taking part in the programme was a really rewarding and satisfying experience. “We receive so much from being Hillary scholars so it’s great to be able to get involved in something where we can give something back.”

As a recipient of the Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship, Dela Rue is supported in his studies and receives continuous leadership development, coaching and tutoring support while at Waikato.