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The Big Idea - Young and Inspirational (13 March 2023)

There’s a lot of incredible people across the country who are doing incredible work who deserve some attention.


Today we shine the spotlight on the creativity of the three finalists of 2023 University of Canterbury Young New Zealander of the Year Te Mātātahi o te Tau Finalists, Elliot Jones, Georgia Latu and Shaneel Lal.


Ahead of the Awards on 30 March - Courtney Rose Brown found out what makes these young creative minds tick.


Elliot Jones has dyslexia. Just like one in ten New Zealanders. While still at school, he decided that things needed to change around the stigma, assumptions and what was currently synonymous with the term.


Wanting to show his perspective, and highlight the strengths of others who have dyslexia, he got started on his documentary Unlocking Potential, raising over $60,000 for the Dyslexia Foundation in the process.


Jones told The Big Idea “I definitely identify as being a creative person.

“Being dyslexic means that you think differently. It’s one of our key strengths (that) I talk about in my documentary.”



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