Ambassador proud of Gore
Nicole Parry can’t wait to get stuck in to her new role as Gore District Ambassador.
Parry, one of six finalists, was named the 2015 ambassador at the finals night in Gore on Thursday.
The 21-year-old University of Otago student lived in Gore for 15 years before moving to study in Dunedin and travels back and forth regularly to the town she calls home.
While she was slightly nervous about getting started in the role, she said she already had big plans and a massive brainstorm was in order to sort out her ideas.
‘‘I want to use this role as a platform to try and implement some things Gore could improve on as well as a way to promote what we have.’’
To be announced ambassador was an honour, she said.
‘‘The thing I’ve always loved most about Gore is the people, and I want to give back to those who have helped make Gore home.’’
All the entrants were aligned with a business or a community group to sponsor them, and Parry’s was the Jade School of Dance.
Her love of dance was clear in her finalist video which shows Parry dancing throughout Dunedin and Gore. ‘‘I wanted it to be fun to watch rather than just me sitting in front of a camera. I wanted it to be creative and fun.’’
There were three rounds of judging for the finalists, an informal gathering, a formal interview with judges and an opportunity for the finalists to show off their videos and give a speech on stage.
All the entrants could have been the winner, Parry said.
‘‘It was really hard for the judges – everyone would have been a great ambassador for Gore.’’
Parry is in her final year of her degree in psychology and politics and is looking forward to spending some more time back at home.
‘‘It makes you appreciate where you come from when you leave. I think I’ll be back [living in Gore] next year and I’m really looking forward to it.’’
A keen activist, Parry was encouraged by her mother to apply to be the ambassador because she was so passionate about the town.
That passion for the town was also present in her six siblings, she said. ‘‘They are all really proud and hopefully they will be able to help me in my role because they love Gore as much as I do.’’
Parry’s father, Gore district chief executive Stephen Parry, was originally lined up to be a judge for the event but was withdrawn when his daughter entered.
Included in Parry’s prize package was a trip to the 2016 Tamworth Country Music Festival in Gore’s sister city Tamworth, in New South Wales.