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Undergraduate scholarship recipients
Temaea Teaeki (Ngaiterangi, Kiribati)
Scholarship duration: 3 years
Te reo Māori
He toroa whakakopa au nō runga i Karewa, he pōtiki manawa ū nā Ngāiterangi. He huānga tēnei nō te moutere o Matakana, anō hoki, he mangainga tēnei nō te moutere o Kiribati. He manu pīrere tēnei nō Te Kōhanga Reo ki Rotokawa. He purapura tuawhiti tēnei nō Te Kura o Te Koutu. Ko Temaea Teaeki tōku ingoa.
E whai ana a Temaea i tana Tohu Paetahi Pakihi i te Pūtea Kaute Ngaio ki Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato, ā, he ākonga o mua nō Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Koutu i Rotorua.
E ai ki a Temaea, he hōnore nui nōna ki te whiwhi i tēnei karahipi paetahi, ā, mā tēnei e whakangāwari ngā taumahatanga pūtea, e āhei ai ia ki te aro pū ki tana tau ako tuarua.
“He tino hōnore nōku ki te whiwhi i te karahipi a Ngarimu,” tāna i kī ai.
“Ka nui taku mihi me te ngākau whakamiha, ki ngā uri o Matua Tonga me te rōpū rangatira i whakatō mai i ngā uara i puāwai ai au. Nā tā rātou arataki i tārai te ara e hikoi nei au i tēnei rā, ā, i te korenga o rātou, kua rerekē rawa taku haerenga.”
“Kia noho tēnei whakatutukitanga hei whakamaharatanga ki ngā raupanga a te hunga i hāpai, i whawhai hoki mō tātou i te Ope Taua 28 (Māori).”
English
He toroa whakakopa au nō runga i Karewa, he pōtiki manawa ū nā Ngaiterangi. He huānga tēnei nō te moutere o Matakana, anō hoki, he mangainga tēnei nō te moutere o Kiribati. He manu pīrere tēnei nō Te Kōhanga Reo ki Rotokawa. He purapura tuawhiti tēnei nō Te Kura o Te Koutu. Ko Temaea Teaeki tōku ingoa.
Temaea is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Business in Professional Accounting at Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato | University of Waikato and is a former student of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Koutu in Rotorua.
Temaea says she is honoured to receive this undergraduate scholarship which will ease financial pressures and allow her to dedicate herself fully to her second year of study.
“I am truly honoured to receive the Ngarimu scholarship,” she says.
“I acknowledge with deep gratitude the descendants of Matua Tonga and the collective of leaders who instilled in me the values that have enabled me to flourish. Their guidance carved the path I walk today and without them, my journey would not be the same.”
“May this achievement serve as a reminder of the sacrifices made by those who served and fought for us in the 28th (Māori) Battalion.”
Isla Mariana Fellows (Ngāti Mutunga ki Taranaki, Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri)
Scholarship duration: 3 years
Te reo Māori
Kei te whai a Isla i tana Tohu Paetahi Whaihanga ki te Whare Wānanga o Te Herenga Waka ki Te Whanganui a Tara, ā, ko ia te Kōhine Mātārae o mua ki te Kāreti o Paraparaumu ki Kapiti.
He herenga pūmau tō Isla ki te Ope Taua 28 (Māori), ki te whānau hoki e hāpai tonu ana i tō rātou whakareretanga iho. E ai ki a ia he whakaiti mārire nōna ki te whiwhi i te karahipi o Ngarimu.
“Ki a au nei, he hōnore nui tonu, he haepapa nui tonu hoki tēnei karahipi, e wero ana i a au ki te kawe i ō rātou mātāpono ki tōku anō ao, otirā ki te ārahi i ngā kaupapa ka whakahōnore i tō rātou whakareretanga iho. He tohu whakamaharatanga hoki tēnei ki ngā huarahi o ēnei rā e whai pakiaka ana ki tō rātou manawaroa, ki tō rātou manawa tītī hoki.”
E mea ana a Isla, mā tēnei karahipi e wātea ai ia ki te aro atu ki āna mahi ako, ki te tūhura huarahi auaha e whakauruuru ana i te mātauranga Māori me ngā mātāpono hoahoanga ki te whaihangatanga, i a ia e kōkiri ana kia whānui ake ngā māngai ki ngā whenua tāone, taiwhenua rānei ki Aotearoa.
“I a au e pakeke ana, ka whakarongo ki ngā wheako o tōku pāpā ki Wharekauri, ka mārama ahau ki te nui o tā te taiao whakaaweawe i te ahurea, i te tuakiri hoki. Ka whakamīharo au ki aua kōrero, me te aha ka whai au kia uru mai te wairua o te hononga, te manawaroa, te mana ahurea hoki ki ngā wāhi ka hangaia e au.”
E manako ana a Isla ka haere tonu āna mahi ako, ā, ka whakatairanga hoki ia i te whaihanga Māori mā te hoahoa i ētahi wāhi ka whakauruuru i te mātauranga Māori, ka whakahōnore i te whakapapa, ka whakakaha hoki i te hononga ki te whenua, ki te hapori.
English
Isla is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Architectural Studies at Te Herenga Waka | Victoria University of Wellington and is the former Head Girl of Paraparaumu College on the Kāpiti Coast.
Isla feels a strong connection to the 28th (Māori) Battalion and the whānau who continue to uphold their legacy. She says she is deeply humbled to be a recipient of the Ngarimu scholarship.
“To me this scholarship is both a privilege and a responsibility, it challenges me to carry their values into my own life and to lead in ways that honour their enduring legacy. It is also a reminder that the opportunities I have today are rooted in their resilience and determination”
With the support of the scholarship, Isla says she is able to focus on her studies and explore innovative ways of incorporating mātauranga Māori and design principles into architecture while advocating for greater representation across urban and rural landscapes in Aotearoa.
“Growing up listening to my dad’s experiences on the Chatham Islands, I learned how deeply the environment shapes culture and identity. Those stories inspire me so that the spaces I create carry that same sense of belonging, resilience, and cultural pride.”
Isla hopes to continue her studies and champion Māori architecture by designing spaces that integrate mātauranga Māori, honour whakapapa and strengthen connection to whenua and community.
Hinerangi Nicholas (Tūhoe, Ngaiterangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Kuki Airani)
Scholarship duration: 3 years
Te reo Māori
Kei te whai a Hinerangi i te Tohu Paetahi Ture (LLB) Māori me ngā iwi Taketake hoki ki Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato, ā, he ākonga o mua hoki nō Te Wharekura o Ruatoki.
Ka whakamārama ia i te mana nui o tāna whakawhiwhinga ki tēnei karahipi, ko te au nui tōna rite e kawe ana i a ia ki tua o Ruatoki, e whakawhenua tonu ana i a ia ki ngā maunga katoa ka kakea e ia.
Ahakoa tana tawhiti i te kāinga, ka mau tonu i a Hinerangi ki te whakataukī: ‘Ko te manu e kai ana i te miro nōna te ngahere. Koirā te ao e noho nei ahau. Tōku ao Tūhoe. Tōku ao Māori. Taku pātaka kai, taku pātaka kōrero, taku ūkaipō. Engari, ko te manu e kai ana i te mātauranga nōna te ao.’
“Nā tēnei whakataukī i maumahara ai ahau ko ngā mātauranga o ōku tūpuna tōku tino whakawhenuatanga. I whakatenatena hoki i a au ki te kimi mātauranga nō te ao whānui, i te mōhio ka kaha ake ahau nā ngā ao e rua.”
Mā te karahipi, e wātea nei a Hinerangi ki te aro ki āna mahi ako, ki te hanga hoki i ngā taputapu māna ki te hāpai, ki te whakahaumaru hoki i te mana, i te rangatiratanga o te Māori.
“Ko taku ara ture ko tētahi ara ki te kōtui i te mātauranga o ōku tūpuna ki ngā pūkenga ture o ēnei rā, kia hāpai au i tōku whānau, i tōku hapū, i tōku iwi hoki ā tōna wā.”
English
Hinerangi is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and Māori and Indigenous Studies at Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato | University of Waikato and is a former student of Te Wharekura o Ruatoki in Ruatoki.
She describes receiving this scholarship as a profound privilege, like a strong current carrying her beyond the valley of Ruatoki while still continuing to ground her on every maunga she climbs.
Although she is far from home, Hinerangi holds fast to the whakataukī: ‘Ko te manu e kai ana i te miro nōna te ngahere. Koirā te ao e noho nei ahau. Tōku ao Tūhoe. Tōku ao Māori. Taku pātaka kai, taku pātaka kōrero, taku ūkaipō. Engari, ko te manu e kai ana i te mātauranga nōna te ao.’
“This whakataukī reminds me that my strongest grounding comes from the mātauranga of my tūpuna. It also encourages me to seek knowledge from the wider world, knowing that both strengthen who I am.”
With the support of the scholarship, Hinerangi is able to focus on her studies and build the tools she needs to uplift and protect the mana and rangatiratanga of Māori.
“I see my path in law as a way of weaving together the knowledge of my tūpuna with the legal skills of today, so that one day I can serve my whānau, my hapū, and my iwi.”
Masters of Education Research scholarship recipient
Tiffany Radich (Ngāti Awa)
Scholarship duration: 1 year
Te reo Māori
Kei te whai a Tiffany i te Tohu Paerua Mahi Ako ki Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato, ā, he ākonga o mua nō Te Kāreti o Spotswood ki Ngāmotu.
Nā tēnei tukanga karahipi i whai whakaaro a Tiffany ki ngā tini wero kua tutuki i a ia, me te āhua o aua wheako ki te whakawhanake i a ia ki tēnei rā.
“Ka whai whakaaro atu ana ki a Moana-nui-a-kiwa Ngarimu, ki tōku koroua, ki a Maihi Ngaheu, otirā ki ētahi atu hōia o te Ope Taua 28 (Māori) i whakaara i ngā pūkenga tuku iho, i te mātauranga Māori hoki ki te pakanga mō te mana motuhake, mea rawa ake ka hoki ki te kāinga, kāore i āhei ki te whakanui, ki te whakapuaki hoki i tō rātou tuakiri Māori ki Aotearoa, ki roto tonu i te ao mātauranga.”
E ai ki ēnei whakaaroaro o Tiffany kua kaha ake tōna aronga me te haepapa e kawea ana e ia ki āna mahi kaiako, he mea waihanga e ōna ake wheako me te whakareretanga iho a rātou mā i mua i a ia.
Ka whakapuaki a Tiffany i ōna whakamānawa ki te poari o Ngarimu i tō rātou ū ki tēnei kaupapa, ā, e ai ki a ia he hōnore ki te whiwhi atu i te karahipi.
“Mā tēnei karahipi e ngāwari ake ai ngā taumahatanga pūtea o ngā mahi ako, e tautoko ai hoki aku tūmanako kia tū hei kaiako e whakaaweawe ana i ngā whakatipuranga rangatahi e whai ake ki te tūhura i ō rātou ake tuakiri, i ā rātou tūranga i tēnei ao hurihuri.”
English
Tiffany is currently pursuing a Master of Teaching and Learning at Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato | University of Waikato and is a former student of Spotswood College in Ngāmotu | New Plymouth.
Through the process of applying for this scholarship, Tiffany was encouraged to reflect on the many challenges she has overcome and how those experiences have shaped her into the person she is today.
“Reflecting on Moana-nui-a-kiwa Ngarimu, my koroua, Maihi Ngaheu and other 28th (Māori) battalion soldiers who drew on intergenerational skills and mātauranga Māori to fight for freedom, only to return home unable to celebrate and express their identity as Māori in Aotearoa particularly in education.”
Tiffany says these reflections have strengthened her sense of purpose and the responsibility she carries into her teaching journey, shaped by both her own experiences and the legacy of those who came before her.
Tiffany expresses gratitude to the Ngarimu Board for their commitment to this kaupapa and says it is a privilege to receive the scholarship.
“This scholarship will help reduce the financial pressures of study and support my aspirations to become a teacher who inspires the next generation of rangatahi to discover their own identity and place in this changing world.”
Masters scholarship recipient
Xavia Tuera Connolly (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngaa Rauru Kiitahi, Ngāruahine, Mōkai Pātea, Ngāti Whakaue, Whakatōhea, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa, Ngāti Whātua)
Scholarship duration: 2 years
Te reo Māori
Kei te whai a Xavia i tētahi Tohu Paerua Pūtaiao (Rangahau) Mātai Hinengaro ki Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato, ā, he ākonga o mua nō te Kāreti o Ngākau Tapu ki Kirikiriroa.
Ka tūhura tana tuhingaroa i ngā whakahaere tikanga matarua o te kaimātai hinengaro i ngā whakahaerenga rata.
“Mā tēnei mahi e manako ana ahau ki te whakaara i te matatautanga ā-ahurea o ngā kaimātai hinengaro me te hiranga o ngā mahi whakangungu ahurea, kia whakawhāiti i te puare o te mana taurite me te whakapiki i ngā hua hauora Māori.”
E ai ki a Xavia, he hōnore te whakawhiwhia ōna ki te karahipi o Ngarimu i te tau 2026, ā, ka wātea ia ki te aro ki āna mahi rangahau, ki te noho hoki ki tōna whānau taitamariki.
“Ko te koha nui o tēnei karahipi ko te whakahōnore i te whakareretanga iho o ōku koroua, o Wiremu Rakeipoho Bennett rātou ko George Ranginohoora Bennett, ko Charles Moihi Te Arawaka Bennett, ko Frederick Te Tiwha Bennett, ko Albert Te Auheke Bennett, ko Manuhuia Augustus Bennett hoki.”
“He ātaahua te whakamiha, te whakamānawa i ngā mātāpono i whakatinana ki ā rātou mahi, ki tō rātou oranga hoki.”
Mā tēnei tautoko e manako nui ana a Xavia ki te uru ki te hōtaka mātai hinengaro haumanu ki Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato kia whai tūranga hei kaimātai hinengaro kaupapa Māori mō ngā tamariki, mō ngā rangatahi hoki.
English
Xavia is currently pursuing a Master of Science (Research) in Psychology at Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato | University of Waikato and is a former student of Sacred Heart Girls’ College in Kirikiriroa | Hamilton.
Her thesis explores how psychologists operationalise bicultural theory in clinical practice.
“Through this mahi, I hope to shed light on the cultural proficiency of mental health practitioners and the importance of culturally informed training, ultimately helping to close the equity gap and improving health outcomes for Māori.”
Xavia says it is an honour to be a 2026 Ngarimu scholarship recipient and that it will allow her to focus on her research and spending more time with her young whānau.
“The greatest gift of this scholarship is being able to honour the legacy of my koroua, Wiremu Rakeipoho Bennett, George Ranginohoora Bennett, Charles Moihi Te Arawaka Bennett, Frederick Te Tiwha Bennett, Albert Te Auheke Bennett and Manuhuia Augustus Bennett.”
“It has been beautiful to recognise and celebrate the values embodied during their service and throughout their lives.”
With this support, Xavia aspires to take part in the clinical psychology programme at Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato and work as a child and adolescent kaupapa Māori psychologist.
Doctoral scholarship recipients
Arna Whaanga (Ngāti Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Rakaipaaka, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa)
Scholarship duration: 1 year
Te reo Māori
Kei te whai a Arna i tētahi Tohu Kairangi ki te kura Māori ki Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, ā, he ākonga o mua nō te Kāreti o Wairoa.
Ka tūhura tana tuhingaroa a ‘Ngā Tohu Mākorakora: Te Whānau Mārama as Living Seasonal Intelligence’ i tā te huarahi mātauranga Māori, arā, ko ngā whetū, ko te taiao, me ngā hononga whakapapa o Te Whānau Mārama, hei kaupapa pūtaiao e whakawhenuatia ana e te ahurea mā ngā tamariki noho taiwhenua e 10 ki te 12 te pakeke i Māhia me Nūhaka.
E ai ki a Arna he nui te hirahira o te whiwhi mai i te karahipi o Ngarimu e ākina nuitia ana e tētahi wheako nōna i te kura o Nūhaka.
“I ahau e 12 ana te pakeke, he ākonga Māori i te tau 1988, i tono taku kaiako i aku mahi tuhituhi ki tētahi whakataetae a Ngarimu VC, ā, i tuatoru ahau i te motu. I whakaū taua wheako i tōku pitomata i āu e tamariki ana, ā, kia whakaingoatia hei kaiwhiwhi i te tau 2026 anō nei kua hoki porohita atu.”
E ai ki a ia, ka tau tōna hinengaro i te karahipi, e wātea ai ia ki te arotahi ki ngā taumahatanga o te ako tohu kairangi, kāore ōna here pūtea.
English
Arna is pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Māori Studies at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa | Massey University and is a former student of Wairoa College in Wairoa.
Her thesis ‘Ngā Tohu Mākorakora: Te Whānau Mārama as Living Seasonal Intelligence’ explores how mātauranga Māori particularly celestial, environmental, and relational knowledge within Te Whānau Mārama, can shape a culturally grounded pūtaiao learning approach for rural tamariki aged 10 to 12 in Māhia and Nūhaka
Arna says receiving the Ngarimu scholarship carries deep personal significance, shaped in part by an early experience at Nuhaka School.
“As a 12-year-old Māori student in 1998, my teacher entered my writing into a Ngarimu VC competition, where I placed third nationally. That experience affirmed my potential at a formative age and being named a 2026 recipient feels like a meaningful, full-circle moment.
She says the scholarship gives her peace of mind, allowing her to focus fully on the demands of doctoral study without the added burden of financial pressures.
Uenukuterangihoka Tairua Jefferies (Te Whakatōhea, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Awa, Te Whānau a Apanui, Ngāti Maniapoto)
Scholarship duration: 1 year
Te reo Māori
Kei te whai a Uenukuterangihoka i te Tohu Kairangi ki Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makaurau.
Ka tūhura āna rangahau a “He tamaiti nā Tangaroa, he ahuahu o Mataora: Documenting Puhoro”, i te huarahi ka whai pea tētahi Kaihanga Kiriata Māori ki te whakaatu i te puhoro me ōna horopaki ahurea, ka whakamahi i te mātauranga me ngā tikanga i whakarite i te wā i whakarauora ai i ngā mahi ōkawa i mua i te taenga o te Pākehā.
E ai ki a ia he hōnore nui kia whakawhiwhia e ia ki te karahipi o Ngarimu.
“E whakaatu ana i te hōhonutanga o te whanaungatanga, ka tohu i te mana nui me ngā raupanga o te hunga nō mua i a au inarā, o taku koroua o Papa Koro (ko James Hirini Richardson), i noho hei haihana ki te Kamupene C o te Ope Taua 28 (Māori).”
Ka hoki ōna mahara ki ngā wā i hikoi ai rāua ko tōna koroua ki Ōpōtiki whai muri i te kōhanga reo, e āta kata ana ki te hunga e ngana ana ki te kōrero Pākehā ki tētahi mokopuna kōrero Māori anake.
“I taua wā, kāore au i mārama ki tōna whakahī, engari kua mōhio ahau ināianei ki te māia o Papa Koro ki te whāngai i tōna reo ki ngā wāhi tūmatanui, tētahi āhuatanga uaua mō tōna reanga.”
“Ka āta pupuri au i taua maharatanga, inā kē ngā hua o te karahipi o Ngarimu i te tautoko ā-pūtea. He tino mihi ki te manawaroa o ngā reanga tuku iho, o te whakarauora i te reo, o te ārahi hoki i te whānau, i te hapū, i te iwi.”
English
Uenukuterangihoka is undertaking a Doctor of Philosophy at Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makaurau | Auckland University of Technology in Tāmaki Makaurau |Auckland.
His research “He tamaiti nā Tangaroa, he ahuahu o Mataora: Documenting Puhoro”, explores how a Māori filmmaker might approach the representation of puhoro and its wider cultural contexts, drawing on mātauranga and tikanga developed alongside the reclamation of pre-colonial ceremonial practices.
He says receiving the Ngarimu scholarship is deeply personal and profoundly meaningful.
“It reflects whanaungatanga in its deepest form, recognising the sacrifices, mana and legacy of those who came before me, especially my koroua, Papa Koro (James Hirini Richardson), who served as a sergeant in C Company of the 28th Māori Battalion.”
He recalls his koroua walking him through Ōpōtiki after kōhanga reo, laughing gently when people attempted to speak English to a mokopuna who knew only te reo Māori.
“At the time, I didn’t understand his pride but now I see that those moments gave my Papa Koro the confidence to share his reo publicly, something that had not been easy for his generation.”
“Holding that memory close, I see the Ngarimu scholarship as more than financial support. It is a recognition of intergenerational resilience, language reclamation and service to whānau, hapū, and iwi.”
Vocational Education and Training scholarship recipients
Tūī Mārama Keenan (Ngāti Porou)
Scholarship duration: 1 year
Te reo Māori
Kei te whai a Tui i te Tohu Pōkairua Te Taketake, ki te Kuratini o Ōtākou, ā, he ākonga o mua nō te Kura Tuarua o Aranui ki Ōtautahi.
Kei ngā tūranga kaupapa Māori, ā-hapori hoki ia e mahi ana ki te tautoko i te oranga o te whānau, e hāngai atu ana ki te whakaora, ki te whakahono, ki te whakaū hoki.
He hōnore tino nui kia whakawhiwhia ki tēnei karahipi marutuna, te kī a Tui.
“Mōku ake, ka whakamana tēnei karahipi i te pūmautanga ki te mahi, ki te whakaū hoki, ā, ka tautoko i taku koha ki tōku hapori ki te whakahōnore i te raupanga a ngā hōia o te Ope Taua 28 (Māori).”
Hei tāna, he taumahatanga nui te utu o te haere i tawhiti kia tae iho ki ngā wānanga. Mā tēnei tautoko e wātea ai ia ki te ruku ki āna mahi ako, ki te whakatutuki hoki i ōna haepapa ki te kāinga, ki tōna hapori hoki.
Ka whakakaha āna mahi ako i tōna ū ki te tautoko i ngā whānau ki te ruku i ngā ara kaupapa Māori hei oranga mō rātou i te waranga, i ngā taumahatanga hoki o te oranga hinengaro.
“Pērā i tā te Ope Taua 28 (Māori) wero i ngā tikanga ki te māia, ki te kotahitanga hoki, ka ngana au ki te whakawhānui i ngā paenga, ā, ki te hanga i ētahi huarahi hou ki te oranga o te whānau.”
English
Tui is undertaking Te Taketake Diploma in Applied Addictions Counselling at Otago Polytechnic and is a former student of Aranui High School in Ōtautahi | Christchurch.
She works in kaupapa Māori and community-based roles supporting whānau wellbeing with a focus on healing, reconnection and resilience.
Tui says receiving this prestigious scholarship is a significant honour.
“To me, this scholarship recognises a commitment to service and resilience and supports my ongoing contribution to my community in honour of the sacrifices made by the soldiers of the 28th (Māori) Battalion.”
She notes that the costs of traveling long distances to attend wānanga have been a burden. With this support, she will be able to participate fully in her studies while continuing to meet her responsibilities at home and in her community.
Her studies reinforce her commitment to supporting whānau navigating addiction and mental health challenges through kaupapa Māori approaches to wellbeing.
“Like the 28th (Māori) Battalion who challenged conventions with courage and unity, I seek to push boundaries and create new pathways for whānau wellbeing.”
Tiffany Daphne Shirtliff (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou)
Scholarship duration: 1 year
Te reo Māori
Kei te whai a Tiffany i tētahi Tohu Pōkairua Te Reo Māori ki Te Wānanga o Takiura, ā, inā tata nei riro ai ki a ia tana tohu Paerunga Pūtaiao Hauora (Waranga) ki Waipapa Taumata Rau.
“Ka hāngai tonu te Tohu Pōkairua Te Reo Māori ki te anga huatau kua tūtohutia mō taku tuhingaroa tohu paerua, mā konei e kotahi ai te mātāpono kaupapa Māori, te reo Māori me te mātauranga Māori ki te rāngai waranga me te rangahau rāngai ture.”
Hei mātua mātāmua ki āna tamariki tokotoru pīwari, e kī ana a Tiffany ko ngā pēhitanga pūtea e aukati ana i te whai wāhitanga ki te ako.
“Mā tēnei karahipi e hiki ai te taumahatanga nui, arā, te utu i ngā nama ako, me te whakangāwari i ngā uauatanga o ngā utu ako, te manaaki tamariki, me ngā haepapa o ia rā.”
Hei kōrero anō, ka pai ake tana tūranga ki Sentence Equality, te wāhi e mahi ana ia hei kaituhi ripoata mō ngā kōti, hei kaiarotake waranga hoki e whakarite ana i ngā aromātai waipiro, taru hoki i roto i te rāngai ture.
Mō Tiffany, he nui ake ngā hua o te karahipi i te tautoko ā-pūtea noa. He haumitanga tēnei ki tōna whai wāhitanga ki te tautoko i ngā hua matatika hauora, ture hoki mō ngā whānau o Aotearoa.
English
Tiffany is pursuing a Diploma in Te Reo Māori with Te Wānanga o Tākiura and has recently completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Science (Addiction) at Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland.
“The Diploma in Te Reo Māori will directly inform the conceptual framework of my proposed Master’s thesis, enabling the integration of kaupapa Māori principles, te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori into addiction and justice‑sector research.”
As the primary caregiver of her three beautiful tamariki, Tiffany says financial pressure have often created barriers to fully engaging in study.
“This scholarship lifts a huge weight, supporting tuition fees and easing the strain of study costs, childcare and everyday responsibilities.”
She adds that the support will improve her role at Sentence Equality, where she works as a court report writer and addictions assessor providing alcohol and other drug assessments within the criminal justice sector.”
For Tiffany, the scholarship represents more than financial relief. It is an investment in her capacity to contribute to equitable health and justice outcomes for whānau across Aotearoa.
Janine Aroha Tito (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Manu, Ngāti Mahuta)
Scholarship duration: 1 year
Te reo Māori
Kei te whai a Janine i tētahi Tohu Pōkairua Te Reo Māori - Rumaki Reo ki Te Wānanga Takiura o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa, ki te whakawhānui i tōna reo mō āna mahi, mō tōna whānau, mō tōna hapū hoki.
E manawareka ana a Janine i te whakawhiwhinga ōna ki te Karahipi o Ngarimu mō te Mātauranga Ahumahi me te Whakangungu.
“Nā tēnei karahipi i tūhura ki ahau ōku tātai whakapapa ki ōku pāpā o te Ope Taua 28 (Māori), e titia nei ēnei kupu ki tōku ngākau - kei wareware i a tātou.” Nā tō rātou toa, ā rātou mahi, tā rātou i raupanga ai, i whakaihiihi au ki te māia, ki taku pūtake.
Ka mahi a Janine hei kaiwhakangungu mātanga Toi Māori i te mātauranga ki te kura tuarua, ā, e tautoko ana i ngā ākonga mā te mahi auaha kua whakawhenuatia ki te ao Māori.
Mā te Toi Māori e whakamahi au ngā ritenga auaha ki te tūhono i te taiohi ki te ao Māori, e whakatō ana i ngā kākano o marutuna, o whakamīharo hoki o ngā pūmanawa ō o tātou tūpuna kua whakarere iho ki a tātou. Ki te koke tōku reo, ka pai ake ēnei wāhi mahi me ngā tūhononga tāngata.
Mā te whakakaha i tōna reo, e whakakaha hoki tana koha ki ōna hapū me ngā tūmanako o kui mā, o koro mā mō ngā uri whakaheke.
E ai ki a ia mā te karahipi nei e ngāwari ai ngā pēhitanga pūtea o te ako tūmau ki tua o te kāinga kia pai tonu tana tautoko i tōna koroua whare, i Awatirohanga, ki Tangiteroria.
English
Janine is pursuing a Diploma in Te Reo Māori – Oral fluency at Te Wānanga Takiura o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa, deepening her reo for her mahi, whānau and hapū.
Janine is grateful to receive the Ngarimu Vocational Education and Training Scholarship.
“This scholarship journey led me to uncover whakapapa connections to great uncles who served in the 28th Māori Battalion, giving lest we forget a deeply personal meaning. Their bravery service and sacrifice inspire me to step forward with courage and purpose.
Janine works as a specialist Toi Māori educator in secondary education, supporting ākonga through creative practice grounded in te ao Māori.
“Through Toi Māori, I use creative practice to connect taiohi with te ao Māori, planting seeds of awe and wonder about the talents of our tūpuna and the legacy they have left for us. Developing my reo will further enrich these spaces and relationships.”
Strengthening her reo also strengthens her contributions within her hapu and the aspirations of kaumātua and kuia are carried forward for future generations.
She says the scholarship will ease the financial pressures of full time study away from home while allowing her to continue supporting her whānau homestead, Awatirohanga, in Tangiteroria.
