Abigail Clark (20), a mathematics student at the University of Otago, juggles her studies with about 25 full days of volunteering each year.
The volunteering has helped build her self-confidence to the point she is now a finalist in the international awards.
''It's just been fantastic to learn all these new skills and know that you are helping somebody,'' Miss Clark said.
''There's just this great spirit when you're volunteering. No-one's looking out for themselves. They're all looking out for someone else.''
Volunteering for the Dunedin Night Shelter, organising student volunteer teams, fundraising for disasters, playing the piano at schools and launching her own university volunteer programme was just some of the work she had done this year.
Miss Clark was the only New Zealander shortlisted from ''hundreds'' of applications.
The other 11 were either from the United States or Canada.
''It's just such and honour to be nominated,''she said.
Winning the most votes on the shortlist would see her get flights, insurance and fees paid for a two-week trip to Zambia to do volunteer work.
International Volunteer Headquarters sends ''thousands'' of volunteers to more than 30 countries each year.
Miss Clark hopes for a career teaching mathematics and plans to continue volunteering in the future.
