Special milestone for Angela Allen Radiation Therapy scholarship

Tuesday 4 July 2023 12:11pm

Dean of the University of Otago, Wellington, Professor William Levack, top Radiation Therapy graduate 2022 Chloe Kemp and Director of the Bachelor of Radiation Therapy, Billie Mudie

The recent Graduation celebrations at Otago marked the 20-year milestone of the Angela Allen Travelling Scholarship for top Bachelor of Radiation Therapy graduate.

Scholarship founder Charles Allen with his son Malcolm Allen

The $5,000 scholarship was established in 2003 by Charles Allen and is named in honour of his late wife Angela, a radiographer. Angela's life ended after she developed breast cancer, as well as having the hereditary disease, polycystic kidneys. The Allen family has maintained an interest in the department and each recipient has received a signed certificate, personal letter and copy of Angela's eulogy from Charles Allen, who lives in Melbourne.

The Director of the Bachelor of Radiation Therapy, Billie Mudie, says the Angela Allen scholarship has huge significance for the Radiation Therapy Department at the University of Otago, Wellington and for the wider profession.

“The award is given each year to the most outstanding student and has opened up fantastic opportunities for them to gain international perspective and experience so early in their career, and it can truly make a difference for our patients,” she says.

“The department was very humbled when we were first approached by Charles Allen and we are honoured that the Allen family has chosen to continue with us for 20 years. It has been such a pleasure to get to know the family and we consider the Allen family to be Department of Radiation Therapy whānau.”

On browsing through the thank you letters he has received from the scholarship recipients – from the initial recipient Abby Bond in 2003 to Chloe Kemp in 2022 – Charles says he is struck by how the scholarship “has hit the mark so well”.

“Abby's letter of thanks is as relevant today as it was 20 years ago,” says Charles. “She tells how it gave her the opportunity to travel to a conference and begin a professional life that she has been able to continue after marriage and starting a family.

“Like many others, she gained the skill and confidence by working in other countries, observing and participating in new developments and in her case, bringing them back to more senior roles in Otago. In broad terms this was the objective of the scholarship and as I browse through the letters it is clear that the scholarship achieved its aim.”

Charles says Angela would have been happy to know that the scholarship has supported, “so many amazing careers in an area which had given her much satisfaction during the short time that she was actually practicing before we met.

“I am personally so pleased that the scholarship has given graduates from the Wellington-based course the opportunity to become exposed personally to the advances and variations in the world-wide profession. Through their employment in various locations, they become much more aware in practical terms rather than just as a touristic observer, of the changing world.

“Specifically, I hope that the scholarship will continue to give all the students, winners as well as so many other valuable graduates, the courage to broaden their experience for the long-term benefit of themselves and for New Zealand.”

Angela Allen Travelling Scholarship 2022 recipient Chloe Kemp at the scholarship presentation in May

This year's scholarship recipient, Chloe Kemp, has just joined the Palmerston North Oncology team and says she is really enjoying working with such a supportive team.

Chloe says it is an honour to receive the award, and she is looking forward to developing her knowledge overseas to bring back to New Zealand.

Chloe grew up on a farm in Levin, and always wanted to go into healthcare. “I have always loved caring for others,” says Chloe. “After touring the Palmerston North Oncology department for a few hours where the clinical tutor showed me in depth what this job involved, I knew straight away this is what I wanted to do, particularly as I had family members go through it and had seen first-hand the positive impact the staff had on them”.

During her studies, Chloe especially enjoyed the clinical component of the degree, which was two six-month placements in different departments in New Zealand.

“My favourite part about this job is the people, I love getting to know everyone and making a positive impact on their life. I am always looking for ways that I can make it a little bit easier or put a smile on people's faces.”

Chloe plans to use the scholarship to attend a conference. Being a keen traveller, she is looking at either ESTRO or ASTRO, the European and American conferences for radiation oncology. “It would be great to widen my perspective on what the rest of the world is doing”.

She has a particular interest in holistic care and making sure we are meeting the needs of each individual. For now, she is enjoying the start of her career and developing her skills, and in the future, she would like to gain some overseas experience.

Dean of the University of Otago, Wellington, Professor William Levack, says Radiation Therapy is a critically important part of the New Zealand healthcare sector.

“This scholarship provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate high academic achievement in the profession, and to support the continuing education of an outstanding radiation therapy graduate.”