Publication: ph30112011

Caption: Hannah Kirk sells cookies to put herself through University.

While most students opt for traditional summer jobs to fund their study, Hannah Kirk is funding her degree with cookies.

As part of Cookie Time’s annual campaign, Ms Kirk is running her own business selling cookies  in the Petone, Seaview, Alicetown and Eastbourne areas in the lead up to the festive season.

“I had heard of a neighbour of mine who had done it while she was at university and the job really appealed to me. I was told it was really, really hard work. But I like that you get out of it what you put into it.”

“It’s six weeks of slogging your guts out. I’ll often start at 6:30am taking orders or selling and work all the way through until midnight completing paperwork.”

Ms Kirk has just completed her second year at Otago University studying medicine and says this is a big incentive for getting involved as a Cookie Time seller.

“I’ve wanted to get into medicine for as long as I can remember - I love it. I’m interested in reconstructive plastic surgery but that includes nine years of study. So it has definitely led me to want to decrease my loan.”

 “I ummed and ahhed about whether I should do the campaign again this year. But then I thought about how last year I managed to do it for just five weeks and make $6500. My mum said to me that I wouldn’t find another job like that.”

Ms Kirk says that she couldn’t do it without support from her mum and friends who sometimes lend a hand.

“Mum is a huge angel with Cookie Time - she’s always there helping. I wouldn’t be able to do it without her.”

“You get rude people who make you want to just go and sit in your car crying and screaming but then you get awesome people as well. People who had remembered me from last year were genuinely interested this year to see how I was doing at med school.”

Ms Kirk says she might don the Cookie Time shirt again next year for another campaign.

“You never know I could be back next year.”

A proportion of all cookie sales go towards the Dyslexia Foundation of New Zealand. Rain or shine, Hannah will be selling cookies every Sunday up until Christmas outside Petone Mitre 10 Mega from 12pm to 2pm.