Young achievers are always something to celebrate within a community and the 2015 Otago Daily Times Class Act Awards recipients were part of the annual regional celebration yesterday.
Prime Minister John Key attended his seventh Class Act function, praising the award recipients and giving credit to their parents and teachers for guiding them in the right direction.
As an example of someone who dreamed big from an early age, Mr Key again proved to be a role model for those attending.
Being brought up by a solo mother in a Christchurch state house never stood in the way of Mr Key gaining a top education and moving offshore where he became an investment banker while massing significant assets of his own.
His own children are becoming well known in their own right through the fashion and music industries.
Returning to New Zealand, Mr Key decided to enter Parliament with the goal of becoming prime minister - which he achieved in fairly quick time.
And the Prime Minister likes to remind the young people to have really big dreams and ambitions.
What the ODT shares with Mr Key, and now the University of Otago, is the desire for the young people recognised yesterday to go on and become leaders within their chosen fields, contributing to the growth of their own communities and New Zealand.
Distance is now no barrier for young Kiwis who want to experience a working and studying environment overseas.
But it is important for this region to try to retain some of the best and brightest here, to see them successively grow into well rounded adults who can lead Otago in private, public and academic life. Sporting achievement is always regarded highly in this region, but so too is academic study and achievement.
Class Act was established in 2000 by the ODT because the newspaper felt, and continues to feel, excellence should be encouraged. As such, the criterion given to schools when nominating Class Act recipients is simply, excellence.
Academic, sporting, social, artistic or cultural experience, leadership qualities, or a combination of those, is the standard by which pupils are nominated.
Those being nominated do not necessarily have to be the highest achievers at their respective schools, but they do have to demonstrate a grounding in their chosen fields.
This year, the recipients will receive an automatic entitlement to a University of Otago scholarship for 2016, an important step in retaining these high achievers within the regional community. Not everyone will be able to take up those scholarships but it is hoped as many as possible will attend university in Dunedin.
The recipients will receive a minimum of $6000 through the Otago Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship and, if he or she is dux of their secondary school, the value of the package will increase to a minimum of $9000.
The technology world, in particular, is full of young achievers who have gone on to become billionaires, in some cases. But it takes more than just a bright idea to succeed. It takes hard work and desire.
Young people from this region are known for their strong work ethic and that desire to succeed. Each year this newspaper publishes updates from previous Class Act winners and finds them spread worldwide realising their dreams.
Class Act is a well established and highly respected initiative, recognising excellence and high potential among the region's school pupils. University vice chancellor Harlene Hayne says it makes sense for the university to support the recipients of the awards in a substantive way.
But the awards are more than just the recognition from this newspaper and the university. They are something of which the whole region can be proud.
Celebrating the success of our own is something not to be put to one side. Many people from this region have gone on to great things overseas.
Many more have stayed. By recognising their achievements and their contribution to this region, as a community we acknowledge our collective strength.
