Opening her heart wins judges' vote

"Twas not her beauty alone that won me. Oh no, 'twas the truth in her eyes ever dawning."

To be sure, the Irish lyrics from William Mulchinock's The Rose of Tralee sum up Dunedin student Elizabeth Sara.

The 23-year-old was named New Zealand Rose of Tralee at the national final in Invercargill at the weekend, and she believed it was her "being real and being genuine" which attracted the judges' attention.

"It can be a little bit scary because you're allowing yourself to be scrutinised on a very personal level.

"You have to let your heart show and hope it's what they want."

Miss Sara was among seven regional representatives from around the country, and was both surprised and humbled to be named winner.

"I'm overwhelmed and very honoured. I was kind of surprised, too.

"The girls I met there were fantastic and I was inspired by them so much.

"Any of them could have won."

Her late grandmother, Dorothy McDiarmid, from Kells, in County Meath, would have been proud of her - not because she won, but because she had embraced her Irish heritage.

"I love their storytelling, their music and the way Irish view life. I see that in myself - I identify with it," she said.

Miss Sara will represent New Zealand at the 2010 International Rose of Tralee at the Festival of Kerry in August.

Her duty as New Zealand's representative will be interspersed with her study at the University of Otago College of Education.

She is in her final year of a bachelor of education degree and hopes to continue studying educational psychology next year.

Eventually, she hopes to forge a career in curriculum development in a bid to improve classroom experiences for New Zealand children.

 

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