The talented 23-year-old journalism student has won the Rotary Down Under Journalism Scholarship, a $10,000 prize awarded to one New Zealand journalism student each year.
The scholarship celebrates the contributions made to Rotary Down Under by its founder, Paul Henningham and his successor Bob Aitken in the 25 years over which they managed and developed the magazine’s publication.
As well as being enrolled in the third year of their undergraduate journalism degree, applicants must write two essays - the first describing their life in five years and how their journalism studies will apply, and the second examining the impact of Rotary in their area.
Madaleine found out she had been successful in the middle of working on the Media Extravaganza, the second-year NZBS media project that has seen her co-hosting a sport show, working radio news shifts, writing online news stories, and producing television news packages.
"I was really excited, I was really humbled," she says.
"It's kind of a nice way to round out time on campus."
The final part of her degree, a six month work placement, will see Madaleine head north to join Sky TV in Auckland in February.
"I like sport but I like the people in sport, not just the sport itself, which is what I've tried to tap into."
The scholarship is not the first piece of recognition for the talented student. Earlier this year Madaleine also took out the $2000 Ross Stevens Scholarship from TVNZ for the most promising visual journalist in her cohort.