Otago student wins NZCU South Young Achiever Award

Otago student and Maori Hill resident Charlotte Steel has won a $5000 scholarship in the recent annual Credit Union South (NZCU South) Young Achiever Awards.

Charlotte has a Bachelor of Science majoring in Neuroscience at the University of Otago and is now doing Honours, focusing on science and applications in medicine. She is interested in Alzheimers disease because it has affected her family.

The scholarship will allow Charlotte to reduce her hours of work and apply her time to complete her Honours degree with the aim to get papers published in the future.

Tania Dickie, Chief Executive of NZCU South, said the scholarships recognise young members, or family members, to help with costs in areas of academia, arts, music or sports within New Zealand or overseas, for which applicants have been accepted.

“We want to help these young people realise their dreams and further develop their potential. We’re so impressed with all these young people. We wish them well for their future and will definitely be following their success,” Dickie said.

The other recipients were eight-year old twins from Christchurch, and track cyclist Tessa Young.

The twin boys are described as ‘profoundly gifted’ and the scholarship will be used to help pay for extended learning.

Tessa is originally from Invercargill but moved to Cambridge in the Waikato to pursue her dream of being an Olympic Cyclist and World Champion. She has completed a Bachelor of Sport and Leisure majoring in Sport/Exercise Science with a major in Biological Science. A former rower, she won two golds in the Maadi Cup before moving to cycling.

Tessa has her sights set on the NZ Sprint Squad, World Cup and World Champ events and Commonwealth Games. Her ultimate goal is the Tokyo Olympics. As a sprint cyclist, any improvement in an 11-second race makes all the difference. She has put her funding from the Scholarship towards a new track bike and travel expenses to events – including the US where she’s just landed for a month of racing.

About NZCU South:

Credit Union South, trading as NZCU South, is a 100% New Zealand owned financial cooperative and is the third largest credit union in the country. It is a community owned, financial services organisation with an extensive customer base and personalised service delivery mode. Throughout New Zealand it provides an extensive range of banking, savings, lending products and ancillary services to members. It has total assets in excess of $120m, strong savings flow, 21,000 members and 80 committed and experienced staff. www.nzcusouth.co.nz

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