Dean's List award winner has it all under control

The head of the College of Business paid a visit to Christchurch airport control tower to ensure academic high-flyer Sarah Ross received her Dean’s List award.

The Bachelor of Aviation Management student could not make the official ceremony so she invited Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Lawrence Rose to present her certificate at work, during a brief break from her duties.

Ms Ross, 30, who will graduate from the University’s School of Aviation in November, is an air traffic controller and works for Airways – New Zealand’s air navigation service provider.

“I've been working for Airways for almost nine years and I really enjoy my job. It is challenging and every day is different. Airways supported me studying at Massey, both financially and with leave for study and exams,” she says.

Ms Ross, who studied by distance learning and is one of 530 College of Business students in Christchurch, says her degree will be useful if she decides to move into a management position in future. “I enjoyed the various papers Massey offered. The lecturers were really helpful and there was some interesting online discussion at times.”

Eighteen Christchurch-based students made the Dean’s List this year meaning they achieved an average of A- across their papers. They travelled from locations around the South Island including Ashburton and Queenstown to receive their certificates in front of family and friends at a celebration at Chateau on the Park Hotel in Christchurch.