Learning Space | Super Students
SUPER STUDENTs
Thomas Morgan Our bodies produce it whenever our skin is exposed to sunlight and not enough of it causes our bones to weaken. Often referred to as the “silent epidemic”, vitamin D deficiency is one of the causes of osteoporosis which affects more than half of New Zealand women and nearly a third of men over the age of 60 years, according to Osteoporosis New Zealand. We don’t generally tend to think too deeply about mushrooms – except to cut up and throw on a pizza or put in a quiche – but one Marlborough Boys’ College graduate took it upon himself to learn how to measure vitamin D2 content in mushrooms, and in doing so won one of New Zealand’s most valuable science awards – the Prime Minister’s Future Scientist Prize 2013 worth $50,000. Eighteen year old Tom Morgan, originally from Blenheim, learned about the growing worldwide problem with osteoporosis. He grew oyster mushrooms in the dark, and exposed them to ultraviolet light (UV) for varying periods of time before testing
By Davina Richards
their concentration of ergocalciferol or vitamin D. It revealed that the mushrooms contained a high concentration of vitamin D when exposed to UV light treatment. His project was completed with the use of basic laboratory equipment and chemicals, and thorough research in the field helped him to develop and apply his own testing method. “I came across a few major challenges along the course of the project. The first was trying to work through and produce my own method which would enable me to measure the level of vitamin D without using the sophisticated lab equipment usually required, and that I didn’t have access to in Blenheim. “This made up a major proportion of the time spent on the project as, according to all literature I read, the method I came up with to measure vitamin D hadn’t been done before and thus took a lot of research and trial/error to find a suitable method that would work with the equipment available to me,” Tom says. “Next was that the window for testing was very dependent on whether the oyster mushrooms had fully matured.
Of course this occurred over the school holidays, but luckily I was able to set up a makeshift lab in the back shed to do much of the sample processing.” Tom heard about the Realise the Dream science program after winning the top prize at the Marlborough Lines Science and Technology Fair. He was presented with the award last November at the Royal Society of New Zealand in Wellington.
school. However, not in a million years had I ever imagined winning an award as prestigious as the Prime Minister’s Future Scientist Prize and so it was a huge honour and privilege. “The Realise the Dream science program was such an awesome experience where I learnt so much and hopefully have made many lifelong friends.”
Tom, who is now in his first year at the University of Canterbury, spent more than three months working on his project and said winning the prestigious award was a massive shock.
The scientific achievement means a commercial opportunity may be on the horizon, as it can provide health benefits to those suffering from vitamin D deficiency, but more testing needs to be carried out.
“I had always had a goal right from an early age to win the local science fair so it was an absolute dream come true when I achieved that in my final year at
“I am really interested in biomedical engineering and at the moment I’m planning to enter this field through a mechanical engineering degree.”
AMELIA GARVEY
By Laura Hall
At just 13 years old Amelia Garvey has played alongside, and competed against, some of the biggest names in the world’s golfing circuit - including Lydia Ko.
Golf coach Jason Tilley and Amelia Garvey The nerves went after the first couple of holes, once I got into it and I ended up making par so that was fine.” In February the Burnside High School student played in the New Zealand Women’s Open golf tournament at Clearwater Golf Club in Christchurch, making her the second youngest competitor to play in the tournament. Her passion for golf was sparked on her sixth birthday when her Dad bought her a set of plastic golf clubs. “He saw me swinging them out in the backyard one day and said, o yeah she’s got a good swing, so he took me out to a golf club and it all stared from there,” Amelia says. During her eight years of paying golf, Amelia says she has learnt to be patient and dedicated - two attributes she says any pro golfer needs to have mastered to succeed.
And it seems this 13 year old is certainly dedicated to her sport, putting in five full practise session each week. “I live right next to Russley Golf Course and I practise their three times during the week after school and on Saturday and Sunday I play several rounds at the Kaiapoi Golf Club.” Amelia confidently qualified for the New Zealand Women’s Open in January thanks to playing the course several times before the qualifying round. But her nerves briefly got the better of her when she walked up to the first tee at the New Zealand Women’s Open, the first professional tournament she has ever played in. “I felt nervous on the first tee and I actually put it (the ball) into the water on the first swing but I made up for it.
Playing at a professional, international golf tournament is a worthy accomplishment for any golfer. So when Amelia describes making par, an admirable result even for a pro, as “fine” you know she has her goals set high. She says she looks to Lydia Ko for inspiration “because she shows that it is possible to be one of the best in the world so young, it’s good to know that’s possible and have it as a goal,” she says.
Amelia says she is starting to go to a lot more tournaments around the country thanks to the recognition she received at the New Zealand Women’s Open. In March she competed in the South Island Secondary Schools Golf Tournament held in Oamaru and in April she played in the New Zealand Amateur Championship in Nelson. At such a young age Amelia is definitely one to watch with her goals set high for the future. Her current aim is to make it into the National Development programme, which supports and drives emerging young talent. Next year she wants to qualify for the New Zealand Women’s Open again, saying “It might be easier going into it next year knowing what it’s like and hopefully I’ll do better”.
Balancing school work with golf practise and competing in tournaments is no easy feat but Amelia Eventually Amelia wants to go pro and pulls it off. “Burnside is really good compete in tournaments overseas. cause they let me have a lot of time off With her raw determination there’s no for golf tournaments and they help me doubt she wont achieve anything she catch up with my work,” she says. puts her mind to. www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 2, 2014 | 29