A Tauranga woman who wants to install her art across Tauranga City is one of 25 Western Bay students to share $55,000 to complete tertiary study.
Bobbi Summers was awarded a BayTrust Dillon Scholarship, which is designed to support local students with significant disabilities to undertake tertiary qualifications.
The 32-year-old, who has fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, will soon start her second year studying a Bachelor of Creative Industries majoring in Visual Arts at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology.
"Going for a short walk feels like I've run a marathon," Summers said. "My muscles cramp up really easily, and I can only walk a few stairs at a time."
But Summers' unrelenting positive attitude has helped her find ways to overcome her health difficulties and achieve an A+ grade for Visual Arts last year.
"I have found if I push myself carefully I can still do all the things I want to. It is all about staying positive and finding a reason to smile," Summers said.