University of Waikato law student Kaylee Bird has taken out the top law prize at the New Zealand’s Emerging Leaders Awards held in Auckland.

Competing against the country’s top emerging leaders in the profession, she says it was a “real honour” to have her leadership skills recognised.

The selection process included psychometric testing, video interviews and a stakeholder presentation.

As the winner of the law category, Ms Bird will receive a mentor for three months, enrolment in the Leadership Mastery online course, and a CV workshop with Talent Solutions.

Since starting at the University of Waikato in 2015, Ms Bird has been a law student ambassador, a tutor in equity law, a Hillary scholar for dance, and a law clerk at McCaw Lewis. She is also a Step Higher Award recipient and will head to Nepal early next year to do volunteer work in communities there.

“I was told that my community focus gave me an edge for the Emerging Leader Awards,” she says.

“This links to the values that have been instilled in me through the Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship Programme. I’m dedicated to doing what I can to promote communities of people helping people, rather than individuals.”

Her biggest challenge came at the end of her third year, when she fell sick and had to withdraw from some papers.

Kaylee Bird is hoping to use her leadership skills to inspire other young students to become leaders.

“In 10 years, I’d like to have a programme established in primary, intermediate and high schools to nurture the qualities of emerging leaders. I want to get kids interested and inspired to create change.”