Emma Faucher, a junior at Castleton State College in Castleton, Vermont, was recently awarded a $15,000 NZD scholarship from the New Zealand government and a free flight from STA Travel. She will also receive a $750 USD grant from ISA.
The scholarship, backed by Education New Zealand in partnership with Generation Study Abroad, is for $15,000 NZD and a round-trip flight to New Zealand. GoOverseas.com, the organization through which students were able to apply, received 1,089 applications.
Each application asked students to give 4 reasons for why they want to go to New Zealand to study and to explain those reasons. Some popular reasons given were the “world class universities,” “stunning scenery,” “outdoor activities,” “adventure sports,” “sporting events,” “food and wine,” and “Indigenous culture.” Students chose from a list of reasons, then wrote a paragraph explaining why they chose that reason. This was the first scholarship of its kind offered by Education New Zealand, though the organization has offered smaller scholarships in the past.
Emma plans to study at Victoria University of Wellington in Wellington, New Zealand.