Student of the Year

There are five categories, which celebrate academic, cultural, and individual successes, with an overall Student of the Year chosen from one of the five winners. 

The five sub-categories are:

• Leadership – Recognises a student’s positive impact in inspiring others to achieve a common goal.
• Mentorship -  Recognises a student’s positive impact in guiding and supporting a peer in need.
• Māori/Pacific – Recognises a Māori or Pacific student who has contributed to a meaningful experience of other Māori or Pacific students.
• Culture & Community – Recognises a student’s contribution toward the development of a community, as well as the nourishment and growth of its culture.
• Academia – Recognises a student’s outstanding achievements in a personal or community research project.

The winner in each category will be gifted a $100 award, and a certificate from the Dean.

The overall Student of the Year will be gifted a further $100 award, a certificate from the Dean and will be featured in a profile on the Faculty of Arts website.

An independent panel will assess each application. The panel will reach out to candidates if additional information is required.

Applications for 2023 have closed.  

Student of the Year: Thira Sels

Thira has completed 216 hours of volunteer work so far this year; volunteering for Anxiety Org’s helpline for 6 hours a week, and at least 3 hours a week at Auckland City Hospital. There, Thira works with dementia patients, stroke victims and other patients in rehab from injuries or accidents.

Thira also volunteers at the Big Gay Out, supporting the LGTBQ+ communities, and volunteers at Ryman's retirement village. And, Thira also worked as a Summer Start Leader and Academic Coordination for this year’s Summer School Programme and tutored Philosophy 105 at the same time.

The judges were incredibly impressed with Thira. Her compassion, commitment and continued service to numerous charities and organisations is exemplary. Her dedication to the community, in particular within the field of mental health, shines through in both this work and her studies. As a current Philosophy and Psychology student, she aspires to be a registered health psychologist in her future.