Great education and great outdoors drawcards for Australian scholar

For the second year in a row, he has been awarded the Simon Gubbins Scholarship, which financially assists Australians studying agriculture at Lincoln.

The $10,000 (AUD) scholarship gives him "the blessing to be able to make my education my first priority and not have to spend this time working and worrying about making rent".

"We are taught from a practical perspective, which I really enjoy, and especially now in my third year, we are getting into a level of depth where we are often at the forefront of knowledge on certain topics, and I find it really exciting that there is still so much that is unknown," he said.

"Our lecturers are the ones writing the research papers that we use for assignments, and I have come to realise how much research in this industry actually comes out of Lincoln."

Lincoln is a really tight knit community, and once you get to know your lecturers and course coordinators, I think you can get a level of interaction and education that you would not be able to get at many universities around the world.

As well as the study opportunities, there is another part of New Zealand life that Callum enjoys. 

"I love the outdoors the most," he said.

He spends his summers surfing and his winters skiing, goes camping around Banks Peninsula and enjoys  overnight hikes in Arthur's Pass.

"The ability to get to such different landscapes within an hour’s drive is something that often doesn’t happen in Australia, since it is so vast, so I have really enjoyed that aspect."

He also spent a summer working on a dairy farm just out of Kurow, "which I really enjoyed, and I gained some practical experience to apply the some of the things I had learnt in class".

"While Australia and New Zealand are very similar in a lot of ways, there is such a distinct culture here and I think both countries have a lot to learn from each other."

He is performing well in his studies, making the Dean’s List in 2021 and 2022. He was also recognised at last year's inaugural Lincoln University Food and Fibre Awards, which celebrate student achievement and career growth in the sectors.

The Bachelor of Science student is focusing on genetics in the agricultural industry and intends to continue on to postgraduate study.

"I see myself as very, very fortunate to have the scholarship, and do not take it lightly.

"I appreciate that the selection of me as a recipient is in the faith that I put my best foot forward in terms of my study and I am very glad that I have managed to pull together some marks that meet this expectation."