The New Zealand Association of Optometrists (NZAO) had to cancel its annual Student Awards ceremony due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, but that didn’t stop it recognising the country’s outstanding students of optometry and commending them all for their hard work.

“The Student Awards is a special event on the optical calendar and an opportunity for the School of Optometry and Vision Science and the association to get together and celebrate not only the success of this year’s NZAO award winners, but also the profession itself, which continues to go from strength to strength,” said NZAO president Rochelle van Eysden.

Current students are the future of our optometry profession, she said, wishing all of Auckland’s optometry students the best managing their studies in these challenging circumstances. “We recognise and remember how hard it can be to get to the end and want to assure you that one day you will look back on these years and the friendships formed with your classmates with fondness. To those of you being awarded, congratulations on this achievement.”

2020 Student Awards:

• Sophia Tan – The Leon Garner Award for top student entering BOptom part III
• Luke Oliver – The Rob Jacobs Award for top student entering BOptom Part IV
• Meg Benjamin - Award for the most improved student entering Part IV
• Coco Cui – The Michael Kalloniatis Award for top student entering BOptom Part V
• Renate Botha - Award for second student entering BOptom Part V
• Daehyun Jin - Award for the most improved student entering Part V
• Coco Cui – The Peg Wood Award for the top student gaining the highest combined grade in Optom 441: Clinical Optometry
• Annalise Kolf - Award for the top Māori/Pacific Island student entering BOptom Part II