Jasmine Knowles (18), of Clyde, was named by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority as top scholarship student, visual arts - painting, and also gained a scholarship in biology.
Dux at St Hilda's Collegiate School in Dunedin last year, Jasmine also won the school's award for all-round achievement. She won the school's science shield for being top of her class in biology, chemistry and physics, as well as gaining the St Hilda award for being first in her painting class.
In 2010, Jasmine won an Otago Daily Times Class Act Award and a Mana Pounamu Young Achievers Award.
For having achieved the highest painting mark in the country, Jasmine will receive $2000 every year for the next three years, as long as she maintains at least a B average during her studies.
Jasmine was at home by herself when she found out she had won the award, based on the portfolio she submitted for her scholarship qualification.
"Mum and Dad had just gone when I checked on the internet. The first I told were my pet dog and rooster.
"I rang Dad and my grandparents. They were more excited than me, if that was possible."
The former Clyde Primary School pupil said her art provided a balance to what she did in science.
She had been interested in science ever since she attended an open day at St Hilda's before she started there in year 9.
"Science is a definite thing. There's reason to it. Once you understand a concept, you can apply it to different situations, to help solve different problems."
Her scholarship portfolio, painted in traditional oils, focused on New Zealand birds, wildlife and landscapes. The birds were extinct.
Jasmine was allowed behind the scenes at Otago Museum to photograph skeletons of extinct birds. It was interesting work, she said, as she did not know what the birds looked like, having to rely on other artists' interpretations.
With some [of the paintings] I played with reflections. There was one image of the skeleton and one image of what the bird looked like."
This year, Jasmine is hoping to win a place at Massey University College of Veterinary Medicine in Palmerston North. She needs to complete four science papers during the first half of the year before sitting exams. After that, the course will be cut back to 75 people.
"I have to be confident that I'll get in. I'll just go there, try my best and throw everything at it."
• Ayano Ishii, who attended South Otago High School in 2009 and 2010, was the top scholarship award winner for Japanese. School vice-principal, John Douglas, said the "very good student" was also very focused on her other subjects.
"She may have done even better had she not missed three or four weeks of school because she had to go back to Japan during the year to sit entry exams for university this year."
Ayano has returned to Japan.
