Shannon resident Jessica Rose Collins is a finalist for the Te Whetū award for young achievers at this year's Ngā Whetū o Matariki Awards.
Collins is currently in the running for the Te Whetū Maiangi Award for young achievers, for her demonstration to improve herself and her community, as well as contributing to a better future for our nation.
In 2019, the 23-year-old was presented with the Prime Minister's Exemplar award for her dedication to Māori mental health and suicide prevention.
The Massey University Māori Visual Arts graduate spent her 21st birthday creating and leading the Mana Whenua Hīkoi, walking 668km for the 668 people in New Zealand who committed suicide in 2017.
From this, Collins aided in raising $2500 for Lifeline since they had lost their governmental funding for crisis support and suicide prevention.