KEY POINTS:
The brother of murdered Otago University student Sophie Elliott will cross the stage at Dunedin Town Hall to accept her degree in a graduation ceremony this weekend.
Miss Elliott, 22, was murdered in her family home at Ravensbourne on January 9.
Otago University economics research fellow Clayton Robert Weatherston, 32, has been charged with her murder and remanded in custody.
Police have said the two had been in a relationship.
Last year, Miss Elliott completed a first-class honours degree in economics and was murdered just weeks before she was meant to start a job at Treasury.
She would have graduated this week.
Instead, one of her brothers, Chris Elliott, 29, will formally receive the degree on her behalf, the Otago Daily Times reported.
More than 460 graduands will graduate in person at the ceremony.
Mr Elliott, who has a BA (Hons) in philosophy from Otago University, said it was sad his sister would not accept the degree herself, but accepting it for her was better than "just having her name read out".
"It's hard. I don't know what I will feel like on the day, but it's a celebration of her achievements, definitely."
Miss Elliott's father Gil Elliott said the graduation arrangements were a "little ray of light in our sadness".
His wife, Lesley Elliott, said the family was going to make the event "as celebratory as we can".
"We know it's what Sophie would want. That's the sort of person she was, a very positive sort of person."
- NZPA
