Kirsteen Allison
SAMS UHI student of the year 2013
Kirsteen Allison took up the opportunity to study in the high Arctic island of Svalbard at the University Centre of Svalbard (UNIS) for 11 months in the third year of her course as part of the ERASMUS exchange programme.
Kirsteen gained so much from the experience, she extended her stay and has since dedicated much of her time to encouraging and supporting other marine science students to take up the opportunity.
Kirsteen was also praised for her hard work, determination and excellent academic results.
Shona Magill, who is a module leader on the marine science degree programme and coordinates the ERASMUS exchanges at SAMS UHI, nominated Kirsteen for the award. She said: “Kirsteen was an exceptionally hard working student who always strived to do her best. She would study late into the evening and was often the last to leave the building.
Speaking about her award, Kirsteen said: “It was truly an amazing experience being able to study in the Arctic, an opportunity I simply could not pass up. The experiences I had during were astonishing, they included ice-caving, snowmobiling, the northern lights and of course seeing polar bears!”
Picture: Kirsteen Allison, BSc Marine Science, SAMS UHI