In the face of adversity and a challenging upbringing this young
woman remains positive and motivated to make the most out of life.
Serena is overflowing with gratitude towards her Nan, who has cared
for her throughout her tough upbringing.
Resilience is a characteristic of Serena's and through
opportunities provided to her whilst at secondary school she is
actively re-learning confidence, effective communication skills and
self-belief. Serena is a fine performer in both dramatic and Stage
Challenge productions, since 2009 she has been a part of the YWCA
Future Leaders programme, and in 2010 won the Jeweller's award for
he time on the Spirit of New Zealand. Academically her strengths
are in English, Biology and Drama.
Antonia Davies from Number One Shoes endorsed their scholarship
selection with the following comment: "This is our inaugural year
of partnering with the First Foundation and we were only going to
offer one scholarship this year, however we could not by-pass
Serena and Jean-Lee. We see great potential in both and admire how
far they have come personally and academically, given the tough
challenges life has thrown their way."
This inspiring young lady intends to pursue both her passion for
wild animals and for drama at a tertiary level.