Michelle Chen says that receiving a scholarship was a symbol of encouragement at a time when she really needed it.
Michelle is studying for a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws conjoint, and was the recipient of a Ralph and Eve Seelye Undergraduate Scholarship last year. This scholarship offers decile 1-3 school leavers who have limited financial resources the opportunity to study at the University of Auckland.
Michelle says that the scholarship has had a significant impact on her financially and psychologically.
“To know that someone somewhere believed in me enough to give me this scholarship, that is perhaps the most profound impact that this scholarship had on my life.”
She also values the breadth of skills that she has developed through her Arts study.
“Arts has made me think about who I am as a person and how I fit into this world. It has made me aware of what people have done in the past, and what people can do in the future. It has equipped me with skills in arguing persuasively, thinking critically and empathising with different perspectives.”
The scholarships are funded by a trust set up by Eve Seelye during her lifetime. The trust donates annually, and was later added to through a bequest from Eve.
Eve escaped Nazi-occupied Vienna to New Zealand as a child in late 1938. She went on to study for a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Auckland, where she met Ralph Seelye, a chemistry lecturer. The pair married and went on to study together at Oxford.
Ralph continued his academic career while Eve became a qualified anaesthetist who worked on pioneering heart surgeries.
Eve and Ralph were grateful for their education and wanted to provide the same opportunities for others.
Michelle’s advice to students is simply to work hard.
“Scholarships are an investment in people not so much for what they have achieved already, but what they have the potential to become.”
“This means never being satisfied with where you are, because there is always room for improvement. This means taking the initiative to go out there and look for what you want, because the best things will rarely be handed to you on a silver platter.”
If you are interested in philanthropic support of the Faculty of Arts, you can contact our Development Manager, Anne Liddle at a.liddle@auckland.ac.nz or +64 9 923 2309.
