Awards and celebrations

December 4, 2018 Staff reporters

The 2018 ACOD, Optiblocks and ADONZ inaugural award ceremony celebrated the achievement of 28 graduating DO students, all of whom received certificates from ADONZ president Donald Crichton, ADONZ life-time members Steve Stenersen and Mike Firmston and IOA president Fiona Anderson.

In her keynote address, Anderson said the evening marked the beginning of a new era and encouraged all the new DOs to “be all that you can be and never stop learning”.

Five awards were presented: Course Award winners, first to third, to Samantha Ballantyne, Christian Hipp and Jenna Barneveld; a special Achievement Award to Jasmine Brodie Fell (see Jasmine’s story online or in October’s issue); and the inaugural David Wilson Memorial Award, which was presented by Jan Wilson, wife of the late David Wilson, to Samantha Ballantyne for her excellent academic results and outstanding interpersonal skills.

ACOD’s James Gibbins and Chedy Kalach said they were extremely proud of all the graduates, with Gibbins adding he was delighted to see the David Wilson award presented, as David Wilson had been the driving force behind dispensing training in New Zealand for more than 30 years. “This award was set up in David’s memory, and there could have been no more appropriate person to present it than David’s wife Jan, who has visited New Zealand with David many times.”

ACOD / OptiBlocks Graduates 2018

Usman Abdulghani

Samantha Ballantyne

Jenna Barnevald

Jasmine Brodie Fell

Susan Campbell

Rosemarie Cardno

Kristine Chuachiaco

Kim Feala

Matthew Harp

Christian Hipp

Lesley Hooson

Karen Hughes

Roslyn Iongi

Seung Jin Lee

Belinda Lelsz

Laura McLaren

Alexandra Menzies

Katie Miller

Mikaela Paraha

Holly Prideaux

Kayla Rillstone

Jesse Suckling

Donna Tamaki

Hannah Taylor

Faye Templeton

Natasja Thomas

Lamia Wahab

Zoe Williams