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The B. F. Connell Prize for Dux: R. Sidhu

The B.F. Connell Prize for Dux of the School is awarded to Ryaan Sidhu. Ryaan has maintained a place in the top four students in the A stream throughout his time at Auckland Grammar School.

His academic abilities are exceptional. In Form 6, he scored 95% in AS Biology, 96% in AS English, 97% – and Top in New Zealand – in AS Chemistry, 98% in AS Physics and 98% in A Level Mathematics. Moreover, he won the Association of Cambridge Schools award for Best Across Four AS Subjects in 2021.

Ryaan also achieved Outstanding Scholarships in Scholarship Calculus, Chemistry, Physics and Statistics, as well as Scholarships in Biology, Geography, Health and Physical Education and History. He was one of 12 students nationally to receive a Premier Scholars’ award. Ryaan was also top of the 2021 University Entrance Honours’ Board.

This year Ryaan has placed first in class in all of his subjects over the course of the year. In his final set of examinations, he scored 95% in A Level Biology, 96% in Chemistry, 98% in Physics and 98% in Scholarship Mathematics, giving him an overall aggregate for the year of 386 out of 400.

He has previously earned the Dr F. Wilson Lang Memorial Prize for Mathematics, the Delamare Prize for Biology, and the W. M. Jones Memorial Cup for Form 6 Mathematics. In 2022, he won the Ben Gould Prize for Chemistry, the Eric Astley Prize (Science and Mathematics) for First Place in Class, the O’Sullivan Prize for Biology, and the Rabone Prize for Form 7 Science.

Ryaan has actively engaged with extracurricular activities. He represented New Zealand at the International Young Naturalists’ Tournament in Minsk, Belarus in 2019. In 2022, he was selected for the training camps for both Biology and Chemistry Olympiad teams. He was selected in the New Zealand team that won Bronze at the International Chemistry Olympiad.

Ryaan has also been involved with World Vision, Asian Cultural Tutoring, Amnesty International, he has been a Mathex Mentor, played Chess, and been a member of the Interact and Programming Groups. He has also been a School Prefect in 2022.

Ryaan is a superb academic, being diligent, motivated, and passionate about his studies. He embodies the School’s values in a remarkable way, always maintaining a sense of good humour and humility.