Logan Park High School pupil Alastair Lamont (18) is a problem-solver and his mathematical curiosity frequently gets the better of him.
‘‘I like to find out what makes things tick.''
Alastair has always been keen to challenge himself mathematically.
As a junior pupil, he won many distinction and high distinction awards in the Australian maths, English and science competitions, as well as achieving a Top 100 Award in the New Zealand National Bank Junior Maths Competition.
When he was still in year 11, Alastair passed NCEA level 3 calculus, gained a Top 30 certificate in the National Bank Junior Maths Competition, a high distinction in the Australian maths and English competitions, and was first in the Australia and New Zealand Informatics Competition.
More recently, Alastair was in the top 2% in the 2008 Australian Chemistry Quiz, in the top 15 of the 2009 Eton Press Casio Senior Mathematics Competition, he was selected to represent Otago in the Genesis Technology Forum in Auckland this year, and is studying first-year calculus and algebra at the University of Otago.
Alastair is also a grade six pianist and enjoys playing trombone in the school jazz band, which has won several gold and silver medals at the Southern Jam Youth Festival since 2007, and was part of the Top Jazz Festival Band this year.
‘‘I love music. It has order and is defined like maths, but it also has freedom to express emotion. Music is a break from my busy academic life.''
Achievements: NCEA level 3 calculus (2007); top 30 in the 2007 National Bank Junior Maths Competition, high distinction in the Australian maths and English competitions (2007); Australia and New Zealand Informatics Competition winner; top 2% Australian Chemistry Quiz (2008), top 15 Eton Press Casio Senior Mathematics Competition (2009); Genesis Technology Forum Otago representative (2009).
Role model: Biologist Richard Dawkins. ‘‘He's not afraid to think through a hypothesis and if it doesn't work, he can drop it and think through something else.''
Hopes for the future: To study science and maths at the University of Otago.