Media Release
November 2009

Young graduate powers ahead

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Alannah Gadsby is no stranger to big toys and powerful engines. Having recently graduated from the Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec) Motorcycle Engineering programme, Alannah is excited about the road ahead.

In addition to finishing her qualification with great grades, Alannah was also awarded a New Zealand Federation of Graduate Women (Wellington Branch) scholarship. The Scholarship is awarded by WelTec to a high achieving female student, studying in a career area where there are few women.

At the recent awards ceremony, Alannah was overjoyed with her result. “My time at WelTec has been fantastic. I really loved the course, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done – and to top it all off, I’ve won this scholarship!”

Sally Hasell, Scholarship Liaison for the Federation, was on hand to present the Award.

“It’s great to see young women getting into areas that have traditionally been male dominated. Alannah has worked really hard and is definitely a deserving recipient. The Federation is really keen to acknowledge and support young women who are entering non-traditional areas”.

Now captivated by the sound of big engines, Alannah was not always sure what she wanted to do.

“I think a few years ago I was just drifting around without a clear goal. I remember hearing a big Harley Davidson start up and then was hooked. I wanted to get the right foundations so I looked around and found the WelTec programme which had a cool mix of hands-on and practical stuff but also the important theory to be successful.”

A fan of the numerous American Chopper TV shows, Alannah loved the idea of being able to not only assemble a motorbike but also fix it too. “Often the guys on those programmes don’t know how to repair or modify the engines they are working on. I wanted to do both which meant I needed to get qualified and experienced.”

With a clear goal in mind of owning her own motorcycle shop, Alannah will certainly be one to watch –perhaps even starring on her own chopper TV programme.

ENDS