The Headmaster’s Prize for Proxime Accessit: A. S. Verma

Arsh Verma joined Auckland Grammar School in Form 5. He quickly impressed with his motivation, diligence and positivity.

In 2023, he was first in 6B, and in the external examinations he achieved 71 in AS Level Economics, 81 in English, 94 in Chemistry, 95 in Physics, and 95 in Cambridge A Level Mathematics.

He was awarded NZQA Scholarships in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Statistics and Religious Studies, and an Outstanding Scholarship in Calculus in 2023, and he was therefore named on the Honours Board.

Arsh was one of 60 students nationally to receive an NZQA Outstanding Scholar Award and these levels of achievement saw him invited to join Proceres Grammatici, the School’s elite group of our most promising scholarship candidates, in 2024.

Arsh maintained these very high levels of attainment in 2024. He has not received an Attitude and Effort grade other than an A in his time at Grammar, and in his Term 3 exams this year, he scored 87 in Economics, 96 in Physics, 97 in Chemistry and 99 in Scholarship Mathematics.

He has consistently been involved in the extracurricular life of the School and this year he has been involved with the Asian Cultural Group, Asian Cultural Tutoring, Aerospace Group, Amnesty International Committee, Ethics Olympiad, Grammar Voices, the Headmaster’s Social Awareness Committee, Indian Cultural Group, Informatics Competition Group, Japanese Animations Club, Literati, Mathex Mentors, MUNA, and Table Tennis. He has also competed in the Chemistry, Economics, Ethics and Physics Olympiads.

Arsh is highly respected by his teachers. His masters characterise him as an exceptional student who immerses himself fully into the subject matter of every class. He is polite and humble, conscientious and diligent.

Next year, Arsh hopes to study Maths and Economics at an overseas university.