Pegasus Post: October 15, 2020

6 Thursday October 15 2020
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
PEGASUS POST
News
Student’s photo gets recognition
• By Bea Gooding
CLAUDIA O’Shannessey’s
passion for protecting the
environment has resulted in the
year 13 student taking out one of
the top spots at an international
competition.
The Rangi Ruru Girls’ School
student’s photo, Sustainable
Surfer Seeks Waste at Sumner,
came second out of nearly 200
entries at the annual young
reporters for the environment
global competition.
The competition gives young
people a platform to research environmental
issues and promote
solutions through investigative
reporting, photography and
video journalism.
Said Claudia: “When I first
found out I was pretty ecstatic.
It felt like a huge privilege to
represent New Zealand and to
get such an outstanding result
world wide to me is one of my
greatest achievements.”
“I entered because I wanted a
way to make a difference whilst
pursuing my passion and using
my strengths.”
Claudia was one of three New
Zealand students who won
awards in the litter less campaign
category, with entries related to
the topic of litter and waste.
Her photo, which was placed
RECOGNITION: Rangi Ruru Girls’ School student Claudia O’Shannessey’s (inset) photo highlighting sustainability came
second at a global environmental competition.
PHOTO: CLAUDIA O’SHANNESSEY ​
in the photography 15-18 years
category, features her younger
sister, Sienna, collecting waste on
Sumner beach.
The “huge” sunrise
represented the start of a new
day and symbolised the start of
something new, or change.
“You can clearly see her
silhouette where she is eagerly
dragging the trash bin in order
to make a change. Small acts
matter,’’ she said.
“She’s a surfer from Sumner
who is protecting what she cares
about and ultimately fixing
something she didn’t cause.”
Sustainability was something
the student held close to her heart
as it determined the future of her
generation and beyond.
“I am proud of my Maori
heritage and I wanted this photo
to capture the powerful essence
of our land and water as taonga
(treasures), and our spiritual
connection to our land, Papatuanuku,”
she said.
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