EIT Bachelor of Business Studies student awarded Sir James Wattie Scholarship
An EIT Business Studies student, on the verge of completing her Bachelor's degree, has been awarded the prestigious Sir James Wattie Scholarship.
Candice D’Acre, of Ngāti Porou, was awarded the scholarship worth $15,000 offered by Ryman Healthcare, in honour of visionary Hawke’s Bay entrepreneur Sir James Wattie (1902 – 1974).
Candice says she is "immensely grateful" for the "generous scholarship".
Not only is she a top student and mother of two children aged four and six-years-old, but she is also the first in her family to earn a degree.
After finishing her degree, she plans to complete a Master of Digital Business at EIT.
The scholarship will not only help pay off her student loan but also start her own business; Mellows, a Gourmet Marshmallow company, which Candice and her husband are in the process of launching.
Dr Sabine Hoffmann, Head of EIT’s Schools of Business & Computing said: “We were really excited to be able to offer this scholarship and I’m sure that it will make a substantial impact on Candice and her future".
When the scholarship was announced in July, Caren Wattie, Sir James’s granddaughter, said it was great to see him honoured.
“We’re really proud of our grandfather’s legacy and thank Ryman, EIT and the Hawke’s Bay community for honouring him in this way. We hope the scholarship will inspire those business students to go forward as entrepreneurs and help grow Hawke’s Bay.’’
Ryman Healthcare Corporate Affairs Manager David King said Candice was a deserving winner.
“Candice is bright, hard-working and entrepreneurial and she has made a lot of sacrifices to study. We are delighted to be able to support her in this way, and she shows that the spirit of Sir James is alive and well in the region he loved so much.’’
