Congratulations to Katie Comer, winner of this year’s Audiology South Prize for Clinical Excellence, which recognises the best performance in the clinical paper at the end of the first year of study for the Master of Audiology at Canterbury University.

Originally from Galway in the west of Ireland, Katie arrived in New Zealand at the start of 2018 on a working holiday. “I had planned to stay a year, seeing the sights … and I’m still here! Kiwis are incredibly welcoming, and Canterbury is now my home away from home.”

Katie studied for her undergraduate degree in audiology in Scotland, and initially worked for the National Health Service. “Doing the Masters course here has been a great opportunity to work with and observe some very skilled audiologists, and has led to a special interest in tinnitus management,” she says.

“I’d like to thank Audiology South for this prize. Due to the pandemic, it’s been almost three years since I’ve been able to get home to see my family, and the prize money ($2,500) will go a long way towards my very overdue trip home,’ she says.