It should come as no surprise that University of Otago theatre studies and dance student Ellen Devaney gained the top equal mark in New Zealand for the latest round of Trinity Guildhall grade 5 speech and drama examinations.
The 18-year-old was one of three Dunedin people to gain top marks in the Trinity Guildhall examinations.
She shared first equal with Kavanagh College pupil Ted Greensmith-West (15).
John McGlashan College pupil Hamish MacArthur (17) gained the top mark in the grade 5 music theory examination.
Miss Devaney was surprised by the result, because it came after her first attempt at a Trinity speech and drama examination.
But for Ted and Hamish, the experience was not new. Ted sat grade 4 last year and received a distinction award, and Hamish has sat grade 1 (100%), grade 3 (merit) and grade 4 and 5 (distinction).
Both Ted and Ellen have plans to use their talent in careers such as teaching English and acting, respectively. Surprisingly, Hamish does not.
The keyboard player said music was "more of a hobby" than a career option and was tossing up whether to pursue careers in law, IT, surveying, economics or air-traffic control.
"I do music because I enjoy it - not to become a professional performer."
Trinity Guildhall Dunedin representative John Elder said students from Dunedin had gained top marks in the examinations in the past, but it was rare for three to receive top marks in the same round of examinations.
