Emilia Haszard (19), of Dunedin, was a Bayfield High School pupil when Miss Crestani died in an accident at a student party in north Dunedin, on October 6, 2019.
Yesterday, the University of Otago named the second-year bachelor of science student majoring in oceanography, with a minor in mathematics, as the first recipient of the Sophia Michelle McMillan Crestani Scholarship.
Miss Haszard, a Scout leader for the Anderson’s Bay Sea Scouts, said she was grateful and honoured to be considered for the award.
Miss Crestani’s death had been shocking in part because the tragedy happened to someone on "a path that I saw myself going down".
"It was so scary that it was so close to home," Miss Haszard said. "Especially that it was someone so similar to me."
Miss Crestani’s mother, Elspeth McMillan, was on the panel that awarded the scholarship.
She said the candidates were all "lovely young women", but Miss Haszard "just resonated Sophia".
The scholarship, worth $4500, was for a female second-year student studying mathematics or statistics who contributed to the community and had a financial need for support of their studies, the
university said.
It said the scholarship fund had "touched the hearts of many" and at the beginning of 2021 $106,638 had been raised to establish an endowment fund.
Fundraising for a second scholarship was under way; it would be awarded to a community-minded, second-year female student studying any subject, the university said.
In addition to the scholarships, a memorial bench for Miss Crestani has been installed on the university clocktower lawn, street clean-ups in North Dunedin have been held and The Sophia Charter for Community Responsibility and Well-being, to help create a safer environment for students in north Dunedin, was launched last year.
