Originally the 18-year-old wanted to study law but ultimately he decided he wanted to study a science and did not want an office job.
It was his careers counsellor at Cromwell College who suggested surveying.
Soon after that conversation applications for the Santana Minerals scholarship opened.
Mr McCombe-Rae applied and was interviewed.
A few weeks later he found he was one of two Cromwell College students to receive Santana Minerals scholarships.
He was awarded the $1500 tertiary Stem scholarship.
Santana Minerals chief executive Damian Spring said the scholarship was aimed at supporting students embarking on tertiary education with a focus on Stem (Science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers related to the mining industry, such as surveying.
Mr McCombe-Rae said he was pretty happy with the scholarship, which helped him pay course fees.
Also part of the scholarship was holiday and summer work with Santana, if available, as well as the potential to work with the company post-graduation.
He had already completed some work with Santana over the summer, where he got a taste of working in the minerals industry as well as experience with surveying.
"I did a lot of QAQC, so quality control and checking, and then a lot of soil sampling. So I would hike up the hills and then check for arsenics in the ground.
"That would be an indicator of gold with an X-ray gun."
He is excited to start his four-year surveying course at the University of Otago this week.
The first year of study would set the foundation of his degree, with four of his papers surveying and two out of his three electives physics and earth and ocean science. His final elective is creative writing.
Mr McCombe-Rae hopes to travel to Australia after he graduates and then return to New Zealand to start working.
