Two inspiring young women were awarded Quota International of Auckland’s Community Champion Awards recently at special Award ceremonies at their schools.This Award is to honour young women who have faced difficulties in their lives and succeeded.  They are people who have met the challenges of daily life ‘head on’ and inspire others by their example.  By their positive attitude and efforts they have become an inspiration to others in their community.

Jeremey Hogan of Diocesan School for Girls was Awarded Quota Community Champion for 2010.   She had been a competitive cyclist for 5 years and had been in New Zealand representative cycling teams for 3 years before sustaining a traumatic head injury after a cycling accident during a race in the Invercargill Velodrome.
Jeremey balanced her huge involvement in sport with achieving high academic marks in her school exams.
The injury has had a huge impact on her life.  With symptoms such as fatigue, memory loss, inability to tolerate noise, mood swings and constant headaches, she has struggled to cope with everyday life.
Despite being unable to cycle, she has put her energies into giving back to the cycling community and in mentoring young riders.  She is club captain of her school cycling club this year and attends training and races with them, increasing team spirit and motivation.

In 2009 she achieved level 2 NCEA endorsed with Excellence. This year she is on track to achieving NCEA level 3 endorsed with excellence, a wonderful achievement considering the difficulties of the past year.

Marissa Lockhart with family and Quotarians

Marissa Lockhart of St Mary’s College was given the Carol Somervell Prize.  She has severe (80%) sensor neural hearing loss to the right ear.  She has also battled a series of illnesses such as migraine headaches, poor balance and difficulty with background noises.  She has experienced severe ear pains, cysts and constant headaches.
Despite these medical concerns she has been a positive, cheerful and conscientious student.    

During the past 5 years at St Mary’s she has obtained awards for Speech, Honours in Art, Social Studies and Drama, Japanese and Info Technology.  She was also NCEA Level 1 Top Scholar. She also participates in her community by helping at her local Rest Home and is a Hospice volunteer during school holidays.  She has been a keen Highland Dancer and gained Honours in Grade 2 examinations.  In ballet, she sat Royal Academy of Dancing exams passing with Distinction in grades 3-5.

Auckland Quotarians are proud to be associated with two such inspiring young women and wish them every success for the future.