Brilliant Mind, Brilliant Goal. Introducing Luka Winz – Our Fourth Winner for 2025.

This year, we had to shortlist potential winners from the candidate applications. A difficult job to do when you are faced with an impressive number of hopeful and skilled young people. However, when we got to Luka’s application, we were immediately taken with her.

Luka Winz in her NAC uniform

With a wry sense of humour, Luka began her Scholarship application by saying she is the child of parents as divided as the city they come from – East Berlin. Her parents immigrated in 2002, and Luka was born in 2006.

All extended family remain in Germany. This fact resonated with John and I. We are both first generation New Zealanders with our parents immigrating to New Zealand before we were born. John’s family is Dutch, mine are English. There is a very particular challenge for children of immigrants. There is no extended family to associate with. Growing up, the familial safety net is very, very small. But it has its good sides too – we were forced to be independent so much faster than our peers. We had to believe in ourselves as there were no aunts, uncles or grandparents to show love, care and say how well we were doing or how clever we were – something that most kiwi children take for granted.

Luka is very independent and worked a full time job as a waitress AS WELL as studying in her last years of school – heading straight to work after school, finishing her waitressing job at midnight then having to be at school by 8.30 the next morning. She had realised from a young age that she would be completely responsible for the costs of learning to fly, and she has worked incredibly hard to be able to do so.

It is apparent from her school reports that Luka has very fast brain processing skills and works well under deadlines. She is multi-talented with an extraordinary gift with both sides of her brain engaged equally. She is an accomplished musician and artist; and is equally comfortable with calculus and engineering.

It’s clear she is motivated and has a bubbly personality, happy to include all those around her in her happy aura. She has a steely determination to become a pilot and strategically took on the extra effort of full time schooling combined with full time employment, to achieve two goals – raise as much money as she can, as fast as she can - and get the best educational outcome as she can to be ready to take on Flight Training.

Luka with her Flight Instructor Dean Beverly at WALSH 2025 after first solo

Before moving to Motueka to attend Nelson Aviation College earlier this year, Luka lived with her mum in an old rented 2 bedroom flat in Ellerslie. Her mum is an abseiler and works to the bone to earn enough to pay rent and provide food. Luka’s father has a small home in Ranui. He is 67 and in poor health, frequently in and out of hospital. Luka spent her weekends and any spare weekdays over there cleaning and cooking meals for him.

Luka was part of the 2024 Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA), representing Portugal. 56 schools attended, each representing one or two countries. After researching their countries intensively, the attending students then debate the four remits that the UN had put forward. The aim of the MUNA is to give select students an understanding of global politics and give them tools to develop their leadership skills. The research and resultant debating allow the students to develop an ability to stand up for what they believe in and see other party’s perspectives.

Luka was also a peer mentor at school and continued to tutor younger students in STEM subjects right up until she left Auckland.

She worked with NIWA to organise School Science fairs and was on the School Ball Committee to develop the best function possible within budget. Luka enjoys team sports and playing her guitar with likeminded people.

There is no doubt about Luka’s passion for flying. As a young teen, she was rejected three years in a row by the local Young Eagles group as she had no background or contacts in aviation, but she applied every year, not being prepared to give up on her dream. On the fourth attempt she was accepted.

She would volunteer for aeroclub open days and competition events as ground crew and since being a part of the aeroclub, she has gained many contacts in the aviation industry.

In January this year she attended the Walsh Memorial Scout Flying School Camp and managed to go solo. She funded this camp with her own savings from her full time job as a waitress for the last two years.

In the dreamliner jumpseat for a day - a prize won at Walsh Flying Camp. Here she is (in the First Officer’s seat) with Captain Warren Mendoza, First Officer Penny Armstrong and Second Officer Wayne Theobald

Here is a quote from the Walsh Deputy Chief Flying Instructor’s reference for Luka:-

During her time at the camp, Luka worked hard to earn one of the highest ground scores in her flight, as graded by Scout leaders for enthusiastic participation in ground duties and general demeanour and attitude in the camp environment away from the flight line.

She also received high marks from the instructors for flying skills, participation and engagement during the massed briefs and general excitement and a positive attitude towards her flying. She displayed humility and resilience on the down days, getting over it and showing up the next day with great spirit, rarely repeating errors. It was clear that she was putting in the book work, showing up for briefings and flying lessons well prepared and always having a question or two, indicating her interest and passion for what she was learning.

Luka scored a remarkable 90% in the written Walsh Exam and was awarded her Scout Wings and won the Air NZ International Airline award which included a B787 sim ride and a day out with a line crew on a regional flight in the 787. This well-deserved prize reflected the enthusiasm and effort Luka put into this year’s camp. She thrived and discovered her purpose, and left determined to become a pilot.

Here is a young lady who seems to shrug off her background and was prepared to work her mind and body to the point of fatigue to save money for what she knows is a lofty dream. A dream that is so important to her that it overflows into the creative centres of her brain and she uses her artistic skills to paint aircraft.

Luka began her training at Nelson Aviation College (NAC) in July this year and her Scholarship was sponsored by The Gattung Foundation. She was presented with her award at NAC by Angela Gattung, Chris Woodwiss and John Pauwels in mid November.

Luka’s impressive artwork - A B17 and a B29