Logan Green (Human, Social and Political Sciences 2021) had never been to Europe before enrolling at the University of Cambridge, his third university and the farthest from his home in New Zealand.

Logan attended Tauranga Boys’ College and completed his qualifications ahead of schedule in the city, in the Bay of Plenty on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island. In Year 13, aged 16, he had a short stint at the University of Waikato exploring beyond the established school curriculum, before completing additional qualifications at school.

On the day he moved to Wellington to attend Victoria University, the then 17-year-old received an invitation to be interviewed about his application for the Sir Douglas Myers Scholarship to Gonville & Caius College, which was ultimately successful. That is just the quick version of the story.

“I didn’t get the scholarship initially. I was told I was the reserve candidate,” Logan says.

“I thought it was well and truly over for me. They released a press release for the other guy. It was a month after that I got a call from an unknown number explaining the other candidate had got a scholarship to another college.

“I got the call the afternoon that I was going to be flying back to university. I postponed that and then accepted the scholarship, then flew down to spend time with my friends and pack up.”

Logan had not completed a semester at Victoria University and there was a moment of hesitation.

He adds: “I initially responded on the phone asking for 24 hours, but I don’t know why I wanted 24 hours!

“I was very nervous and quite scared about coming over here, but there wasn’t a decision to make. You don’t turn down a full scholarship to Cambridge! It’s just not something you do.

“There was a lot to sort out about how my life would change, but the decision wasn’t the hard part. I would’ve kicked myself for years and years if I had said no to that.”

The timings of the application process have now changed, meaning the scenario Logan experienced, which was due to the New Zealand academic year differing from the UK one, will not be repeated. But there was good news for half of the six candidates shortlisted for interview:  Logan is one of three of them at Cambridge on scholarships at different colleges.

Eligible for the Sir Douglas Myers Scholarship? Apply by Tuesday 1 August: Apply | The Sir Douglas Myer (dougmyersscholarship.org)

The full scholarship covers all tuition and College fees, including accommodation, the Minimum Dining Requirement, plus a generous stipend. Fees and flights are not included, but Logan is overwhelmed by the generosity of the Myers family.

Logan is a Caius Access Ambassador, often seen at open days and school visits, demonstrating his desire for others to have similar opportunities to him.

He adds: “Cambridge is perceived in New Zealand as a bit of a dream, a bit of a myth. I would never have considered coming to Cambridge, and I wouldn’t have been able to, if it wasn’t for the Sir Douglas Myers Scholarship.

“It’s really important to me that people feel they’re able to apply and if they apply it will be a place for them.”

Coincidentally, Logan’s immediate predecessor as a scholar also attended Tauranga Boys’ College, a school which is a state-run school and cross-section of society. It emerged that Quaid Forbes (HSPS 2020) and Logan were at the same kindergarten.

“That’s quite an unlikely connection for two Douglas Myers scholars to have. It’s very rare that two people from the same school, let alone consecutively,” Logan says.

The pair worked together as maths tutors and Quaid, a year ahead, advised Logan to prepare to apply for the scholarship and has proved to be a mentor since.

“Quaid was immeasurably helpful to me, both before I interviewed, and then in the time after I got the scholarship before coming,” Logan says. “He would advise me on academics, accommodation, which flights and he told me all the things that had gone wrong or that were right.

“He’s in a really odd position in my life because he’s the one that spans two worlds. I’m not exaggerating when I say two worlds – it’s really odd when someone traverses through the two of them.

“It’s really unusual for me to be able to talk to him about everyone at Cambridge and everyone at our school and he knows about it.”

The best advice from Quaid was reassurance. “Once you’re in it, it’s a lot better than it looks from 18,500 kilometres away,” Logan says.

Pictured (clockwise from top left): A Myers Scholars' dinner, hosted by the Master, Professor Pippa Rogerson, which includes Isaac, second left, and Quaid, right; Logan with his parents under a portrait of Sir Douglas Myers, which appears on the staircase to the College Library; Logan playing hockey for the University; Logan punting on the Cam, by the Bridge of Sighs.

Like Quaid, Logan acted as mentor for the scholar the following year, meeting Isaac Mellis-Glynn ((HSPS 2022) at the bus station. Isaac is from Auckland and is now Gonville & Caius Students’ Union President.

Logan adds: “The Myers group are like a little Kiwi family here. We have drinks together, put Kiwi music on…”

Logan has also made the most of the experience at Caius and plays hockey for the University second team. He is also determined to make the most of the vacation periods.

He adds: “When domestic students have the opportunity to go home and take a break from the environment, we don’t necessarily get to. I visit friends and stay at their house; I’m the surrogate son of a lot of Caius students’ parents!

“Last summer I lived out of a backpack for three months, a solo interrail trip around western Europe. This summer I’m backpacking in Argentina with two friends from hockey.”

As for his course, Logan describes HSPS as “the obvious choice” for him. Coincidentally, it was also the chosen Tripos for Quaid and Isaac.

He adds: “I like how you can combine a whole load of subjects under one degree. I’ve always been interested in leadership, in politics and I’m very much a people person. There’s the word social in the Tripos name, I’m an extrovert, it’s part of who I am. Studying as a subject people in society is an obvious choice.”