
A Motueka third-year nursing student is a lot less worried about petrol prices with a $3500 Motueka Lions Club scholarship in her back pocket.
Alex Due is working towards her Bachelor of Nursing at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology and says the scholarship has eased the pressure of travel costs and course fees.
This is the fourth year the Motueka Lions Club has offered the scholarship, which is open to tertiary students in their second year or beyond who have strong ties to the Motueka High School catchment.
Grant committee member William Mitchell says the club has received more applications each year, with 17 considered this year.
He says the standard was very high this round, with about six applications being carefully scrutinised for the final choice.
Alex stood out because of the thoroughness of her application and the clarity of her career pathway.
A former Motueka South School and Motueka High School student, she is currently working as a health care assistant at Nelson Hospital and sees nursing as the natural next step.
After completing her studies, Alex plans to move to Auckland to work in post-operative care in a general surgical ward, with the long-term goal of becoming a nurse practitioner.