Breadcrumbs

Dancing her way to Nepal

29 January 2019

Dancer Kaylee Bird is one of four Step Higher Award recipients.

University of Waikato Hillary scholar Kaylee Bird will swap New Zealand summer for a trek up the Himalayas as she and three other Step Higher Award recipients head to Nepal next month.

Following in Sir Edmund Hillary’s footsteps, they will be trekking around the Khumbu Valley (including part of Mount Everest), fundraising for the Himalayan Trust, and visiting local schools and hospitals.

Kaylee first heard about the Step Higher Award as a new student at the Hillary Induction. Now, going into her fifth year of law and management study, she says she felt confident enough to apply for the Step Higher Award.

“I know I’ll be pushed out of my comfort zone – I’m looking forward to experiencing the Nepali way of life and interacting with the different communities there. I think the experience will be reflective, so I’m excited to come back and see how I coped,” she says.

Kaylee is already underway with her fundraiser – teaming up with local and national businesses to sell raffle tickets, and setting up a Give a Little page.

She’s especially thankful to the University’s High Performance Student Scholarship Manager Greg O'Carroll. Greg has guided Kaylee throughout her time at university and was vital in giving her the push she needed to apply for the Step Higher Award. And through the Hillary Scholarship, Kaylee gained access to leadership roles and volunteering opportunities such as the HeadzUp Programme, where she spoke as an ‘inspiring leader’ to Year 13 students from around the North Island.

Kaylee Bird.

Kaylee has been dancing since she was four years old, mainly classical and contemporary dance. In 2014, she was offered places at Queensland Dance School of Excellence, Queensland University of Technology – Fine Arts Dance Course, and Tanya Pearson's Classical Coaching Academy in Sydney.

She spent a term at the Tanya Pearson Classical Coaching Academy in Australia, turning down a partial scholarship and an invitation to audition for Ajkun City Ballet in New York to return to her studies at the University of Waikato. In 2017, she attended the World Championship of Performing Arts in Los Angeles.

Kaylee says she’s pretty new to trekking, but she’s looking forward to the challenge. “The closest thing I have ever done is school camp, which is worlds away from trekking to base camp, so I’m in the dark with what to expect. My dance training has given me a quick recovery rate, but I have been training my endurance at the Hakarimata Track.”

Kaylee encourages students to expand their interests while they are studying. “Work, volunteer, join clubs, or pursue hobbies,” Kaylee says. “It can be difficult to manage your time, but it's worth it – just make sure you enjoy your uni experience and develop your skills.”


Latest stories

Related stories

Ally Wollaston with a gold medal at the UCI Nations Cup track competition in Jakarta.

Three golds for cyclist Ally Wollaston

University of Waikato law student and Hillary Scholar Ally Wollaston has returned to New Zealand…

Award-winning soprano and Waikato alumna is branching out into the world

With one of her recent achievements on home soil having been the runner up at…

New Zealand Economics Forum brings together decision makers to drive action

The University of Waikato is proud to host the annual New Zealand Economics Forum, which…

Ukraine a year on: the invasion changed NZ foreign policy – as the war drags on, cracks will begin to show

One year to the day since Russian tanks ran over the Ukraine border – and…

Algae to economics: academic promotions announced

The University of Waikato has announced its latest round of academic promotions.

Huy Vu

Scholarship established to remember alumnus and colleague Huy Vu

A scholarship has been established at the University of Waikato to remember alumnus and highly…

Prime Minister’s Scholarship students getting ready to fly

While most of us are winding down to a relaxing holiday season, a number of…

gavin-walsh

Scholarship helps recipient spark change for the environment

A donor-funded Master of Management Studies project at the University is set to contribute to…

craigs-IP-scholarship

New scholarship for women studying business

Leading investment specialists Craigs Investment Partners (Craigs) is committing to the next generation of women…

Strategic passion leads to Norway

A competitive spirit and a passion for strategic management has landed University of Waikato Business…

Strategic moooves: Management students advise Fonterra in 50th WMS Case Competition

The iconic 50th Waikato Management School Case Competition held on 19 October saw four finalist…

NFT - Not a Fair Trade?

Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, have become part of the common lexicon. Twitter, Instagram, and even…