Caleb Lopez-Sanchez one of many Prime Minister Scholarship recipients

Caleb Lopez-Sanchez has been awarded a Prime Minister's Scholarship.

Former Paraparaumu College student Caleb Lopez-Sanchez is one of 111 young New Zealanders who have been awarded a Prime Minister’s Scholarship which will help strengthen relationships with Latin America and Asia.

Lopez-Sanchez, 19, who is studying at Otago University, will spend one semester at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaís, in Santiago, Chile.

He was delighted when he found out about his selection.

“I had just finished my first exam of three, so it was a great surprise and kept me going during all of my exams.

“But it also made it a bit difficult to focus on my exams, and not the exchange that I would be embarking on in eight months’ time.”

He said the university was one of the oldest in Chile and “considered one of the best in Latin America”.

“I’m nervous but also really excited.

“From my understanding, the Chilean culture can be quite different to ours in New Zealand, so I’m interested to see how different it is.

“Chilean Spanish is also notorious for being different to most other types of Spanish, so I hope that I am sufficiently prepared for it.”

But he was looking forward to the experience - it had been on his radar for a while.

“I had always wanted to go on exchange, and thought that this would be a great way to make my overseas experience even better.

“I’ve heard that the connections you make from the scholarship can be life-changing.

“There are several reasons why I want to go, but perhaps the most important is the opportunity to improve my Spanish and meet new people.

“I also thought that I had nothing to lose and everything to gain, so why not take the chance and apply?”

The selection process was lengthy for Lopez-Sanchez, who has finished his second year of a Bachelor of Arts and Science with a double major in indigenous studies and neuroscience and a minor in Spanish.

“We had to fill out an online application form answering some questions about our aspirations for our chosen programme, which in my case was a semester exchange.

“We also needed to complete a short video describing why we should be chosen for our programme.

“Following this, shortlisted candidates were asked to expand on their initial answers and provide further information about why they wanted to go on exchange.

“During my application process I discussed the importance of global connections as a result of our experiences from Covid-19, with a particular focus on the need for a globalised/unified scientific community.”

Lopez-Sanchez’s scholarship is for one semester and includes a $250 weekly contribution to living costs, $3500 for return flights, travel and medical insurance, as well as the associated visa costs.

Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao chief executive Grant McPherson said funds awarded for individuals in this scholarship came to a round total of $1.5 million.

The recipients will undertake study, research and internship programmes in fields such as business, language, indigenous rights, sustainable development and architecture for a minimum period of four weeks (Latin America) and six weeks (Asia), up to two years.

The top Latin America study destinations for this round are Chile and Colombia, with Japan and the Republic of Korea as the most popular destinations in Asia among scholars.

“The merit of our scholarship applicants continues to be impressive.

“We are proud to offer this opportunity for people to develop their inter-cultural skills, build networks and enjoy experiences abroad.

“We know they will make us proud to have them representing New Zealand in this important time of rebuilding and reconnecting with overseas partners.

“Interest for this programme continues to grow. Building collective skills and understanding of different cultures helps our country show leadership in matters of significance for [the] Asia and Latin America regions.”