Port scholarships for academic trio

Three new students have been named as recipients of a Port of Tauranga scholarship for tertiary study.

The Turirangi Te Kani Memorial Scholarships, which honour one of Tauranga's leading community figures, have been awarded annually by the port for 24 years.

This year s recipients are: Kalei Delemere-Ririnui (19), studying for a conjoint degree in Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Maori studies at Auckland University, Thomas Dickson (17), studying for a Degree in Physiotherapy at Otago University and Mihi Ngata ( 17), studying at Auckland University with the Certificate in Health Sciences course, leading onto the overlapping Year 1 of Health Sciences/Bio Medical Science.

The scholarship is awarded for up to three years tertiary study to young people from the Tauranga Moana Trust Board area with tribal affiliation with Tauranga Iwi. It recognises not only the contribution made to the community by Turirangi Te Kani, who led the formation of the Matapihi-Ohuku Trust and served on the Tauranga-Moana Maori Trust Board, but also his services and advice to the Port of Tauranga. A veteran of the Maori Battalion, Turirangi Te Kani died in 1990.

Port chief executive Mark Cairns said: "We take an active interest in the tertiary careers of the students we support.

The scholarships are awarded on a year-by-year basis and the students report back on their study progress and exam results each year.

Of the seven recipients of the award from 2012 and 2013, five have been affirmed to receive the scholarships funds again in 2014. They are: Rhiannen Ranui and Jason Waters (second year students), and Hikitapua Ngata, James Simonsson (subject to exam results) and Aurere Thatcher (third year students).