Graduation day for Tauranga students

Tauranga students will don their graduation caps and gowns this week as they celebrate the end of their studies.

About 1800 Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology students from Tauranga and Rotorua will take part in the end of year graduation ceremonies which began on December 10 and finish on December 14.

This year, dedicated ceremonies are being held throughout the region, giving graduates the opportunity to celebrate at the location in which they studied.

Today's graduation ceremonies were for Tauranga students who had completed diplomas in community wellbeing and development, education, health, nursing and social services, the hospitality, tourism and service industries, as well as other industries, science and environment trades and logistics.

Students graduating with diplomas in engineering, creative industries, technology and infrastructure and business management and legal studies will be graduating this afternoon.

Today, Dhruvkumar Patel graduated with a diploma in Level 6 electrical engineering.

The 21-year-old said he had been studying for three years and was excited to finally graduate.

"It is very, very exciting, all my hard work has paid off," he said.

Kenyan mother-of-two Merab Onam graduated from a New Zealand Diploma in Business Level 6 and plans to complete her degree next year.

Brothers Arikatu and Tamati Robens graduated with a bachelor of sport and recreation Level 7.

Arikatu will travel to Australia next year after landing a contract to play rugby league across the ditch - he was also awarded the Howie Hinton all-round achievement cup.

The boys' mother handmade the pair korowai to wear on their graduation day.

Henry Whyte and Deborah Smith were awarded the Goodnature Environmental Management Top Graduate Award and would each share in a $500 prize.

The Goodnature Top Graduate Award goes to an environmental management graduate at Toi Ohomai who showed academic prowess but also excellent field skills.

Graduation schedule:
Tauranga certificate ceremonies - December 10 at ASB Arena:
- Faculty of Community Wellbeing and Development
- Faculty of Education, Health, Nursing and Social Services
- Faculty of Engineering, Creative Industries, Technology and Infrastructure
- Faculty of Business Management and Legal Studies
- Faculty of Hospitality, Tourism, and Service Industries
- Faculty of Primary Industries, Science and Environment
- Faculty of Trades and Logistics

Tauranga diploma ceremonies - December 11 at ASB Arena
- Faculty of Community Wellbeing and Development
- Faculty of Education, Health, Nursing, & Social Services
- Faculty of Hospitality, Tourism, & Service Industries
- Faculty of Primary Industries, Science and Environment
- Faculty of Trades and Logistics
- Faculty of Engineering, Creative Industries, Technology and Infrastructure
- Faculty of Business Management and Legal Studies