An update from Pippa
While many university students spend their breaks catching up on sleep, Pippa has been splitting her time between dairy farms, study, volunteering and training for endurance events.
The Lincoln University student is currently in her third year of a Bachelor of Agricultural Science and has continued working on dairy farms in Invercargill and Canterbury alongside her studies. She's also worked part-time providing before and after school care for primary school children. It's been a full-on year, but one that's brought plenty of opportunities. Pippa received several scholarships, including the Aurora Dairies Scholarship, was selected for Beef + Lamb New Zealand's Out the Gate Programme and earned a place on the Dean's List.
Away from study and work, she completed another half marathon, achieving a personal best, and has already set her sights on a new challenge: completing a half Ironman in 2028.
One of the highlights of the year was volunteering at a Diabetes NZ Youth Camp in Waipara.
"It's really rewarding being around young people with diabetes and seeing them build confidence and friendships," says Pippa.
Receiving the John McLaren Youth Award helped take some of the financial pressure out of university life and gave Pippa the confidence to keep putting her hand up for new opportunities.
"It reinforced that having type 1 diabetes doesn't stop me from doing the things I want to do, whether that's studying agriculture, working on farms or taking on sporting challenges," she says.With graduation now on the horizon, Pippa hopes to build a career in New Zealand's primary industries, ideally in the dairy sector. Before that, she'd love to spend some time travelling and working overseas in agriculture.
For anyone thinking about applying for a John McLaren Youth Award, Pippa says
"Just go for it. I think a lot of people underestimate their achievements or think they haven't done enough. The award isn't only about getting top grades. It's about recognising people who are working hard and making the most of opportunities."