This week another 20 people were granted their New Zealand citizenship during the final ceremony of the year at the Central Otago District Council Chambers in Alexandra.
Central Otago Mayor Tamah Alley read out each new citizen’s reasons for moving to New Zealand, before they made their citizenship pledge and officially became citizens.
The new Kiwis came from Belgium, Fiji, Germany, India, Samoa, Singapore and the United Kingdom.
One was Stefanie Kremser, from Germany.
After graduating from university, Dr Kremser worked with the Alfred-Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, where she began to get to know some New Zealanders.
She was later offered the opportunity to do a doctorate at Niwa’s scientific facility at Lauder.
A PhD was not something Dr Kremser thought of doing, but she saw it as an opportunity to visit the Antarctic, which was one of her life goals. During her studies she achieved that goal.
In 2008 she moved from Berlin, with about 3.4 million people, to study at Lauder, with a population of about 10.
"While Lauder was a little quieter than Berlin, I started to enjoy life in Lauder very much, but that was mainly thanks to all the other great students and people that live out there."
Little did she know her planned three years in New Zealand would become more than 16 and lead to her becoming a citizen.
After her PhD she moved to Alexandra, to work for Bodeker Scientific, and after 13 years there she became a greenhouse gas consultant with an accountancy firm, to make more of a difference to climate change, she said.
It was great to become a citizen, especially as she had not expected to stay in New Zealand.
"I’m really happy that it’s finally come to be," she said
Other new citizens included;
Jurre Risteyn, Liesbeth Willy Van der Jonckheyd, Tisse Risteyn and Wilfried Francois Leonard Risteyn (Belgium).
Jocelyn Joshika Lal, Saanvi Shenaika Raju, Shyna Shrutika Raju and Vishal Shivendran Raju (Fiji).
Ruth Luisa Smith (Germany).
Stefanie Kremser (Germany).
Thomas Otto Willem (Germany).
Nimmi Mohan Mohanan Pillai and Vineeth Cheriyaparambil Isidore (India).
Tumau Uelese (Samoa).
Abigail Jiat Tee Lau, Ethan Yee Teng Tan, Nadia Myra Tan and Timothy Aidan Tan (Singapore).
Emma Joanne Burnell (United Kingdom).
Leigh Damian Wells (United Kingdom).
By Ella Jenkins
