When Preparation Meets Opportunity 

Some might say this young New Zealander is a very lucky girl, but she has proved repeatedly the truth of the old axiom, “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” 

Lena Ormsby, a 13th year student at Karamu High School in Hastings, is a recipient of the $25,000 Te Ara a Kupe Beaton Scholarship, from the Crimson Education organization.  

Crimson Education was founded in 2013 with a vision to equalize the university admissions playing field for students across the globe, to overcome barriers of geography and legacy to compete on the world stage. 

Lena demonstrated her talent for thinking quickly when she applied for the Beaton Scholarship at the very last minute, finding out about it from a career advisor while traveling abroad. 

“My mum and I were travelling in Australia on holiday when my advisor emailed me, telling me this was an opportunity I should go for,” Lena said. “When we finally got home, I looked at my email about 11:30 pm that night, and found out the scholarship deadline was at midnight. 

“I had about a half-hour to make my application video, but I was fortunate enough to make the video and write my application and get it sent in just in time.” 

Quick thinking by a young woman  who has proven, time and time again, that when she is determined, little will get in her way. 

The $25,000 scholarship will go a long way toward helping her achieve her goal of becoming a lawyer. To do that, Lena is hoping to study law and commerce at an Ivy League school in the US, such as Harvard or Yale. She’s also considering applying at Oxford or Cambridge. 

She said the Crimson organization is helping her work through the extremely competitive process to gain admittance to these schools, and cover any costs related to the admission process. 

“The process of applying overseas is so foreign to university applicants here that none of us would know what to do,” Lena said. “So, I’m very lucky to have an organisation like Crimson assisting me with the entire process.” 

She said a career in law is a natural for her, as she has a great love of English and history.  

“Law has always been in the back of my mind, and at the same time I’m very passionate about business school. I’m hoping to study law or international relations, and we’ll see where that takes me,” Lena said. 

Born in Hamilton, Lena, who is of Ngāpuhi Māori descent, lived for a time in Wellington before her family moved to Hastings seven years ago.  

She danced ballet as a child and has always loved being on stage and performing. This “no-fear” approach to life is evident through her experience as a skilled public speaker and debater. 

In fact, the last three years in a row she has won the prestigious Ngā Manu Kōrero Te Matau a Māui Speech Competition, which is a Māori speech competition for tangata whenua (people of the land) students who are at secondary school and encourages fluency in Te Reo Māori and English. 

Lena said this past year she was humbled to have placed top in the Senior English category for both her prepared and impromptu speeches. She credits her love for reading as key to helping her gain the knowledge and vocabulary to become so adept at giving these speeches. 

She is also one of eight young leaders on New Zealand Parliament’s youth reference group, and travels to the capital city of Wellington once a month to participate in that programme. She sees that as another opportunity to learn, grow, and influence other youth her age to do more than just the minimums required. 

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Her mother, Heidi, says her daughter has determination to succeed in life and to be a full participant in everything. 

“I remember as a little girl she got into her first school race, looking very girly wearing pink sandals and a skirt—definitely not running clothes—and I didn’t think she would stand a chance, that she would probably finish last,” Heidi explained.  

“Once the race started this change came over her face and it was obvious that she had decided she was going to do better than was expected. She raced around that field and ended up second to another more skilled girl, but that determination just said it all to me.” 

Heidi continued, “Lena sets her mind to do something, and she’s going to do whatever she needs to make things happen and be successful.” 

Lena says she loves pushing herself and accepting the challenge to always do her best. She’s grateful for the teachings of Jesus Christ, which have provided her a solid footing upon which to pursue her life’s dreams and ambitions. 

“I’m so grateful for the gospel as it has taught me wonderful principles for life and given me the opportunity to surround myself with like-minded friends, so that we can uplift each other and stay positive,” she said. 

“When I was very little, I had this testimony that I wanted to say in Church,” she said. “I would whisper it to my mum and then she would let me say it, and that gave me confidence to stand up in front of people and speak now,” she said.  

Ultimately, she sees the influence of the gospel coming out through many of the activities she is participating in.

“I’m so grateful that I have had all these experiences in church, and I’m sure these things will help me as I go other places in my life.”