Takikawa said he thought there was no way he would ever be chosen for the award.
“But I thought I’d give it a go. I was blown away when I was told I had made it. I couldn’t believe it, and I feel grateful to be chosen.”
The teenager was born and raised in Te Puia Hot Springs/Waipiro Bay.
“I’ve never been overseas before and I’m feeling really excited about it all ... I feel honoured and privileged to be attending an Anzac Dawn service at Gallipoli, to honour my tīpuna Rere Hauiti and all those that fought and never came home.”
His mother, Lois Hauiti, said all the whānau were so proud of him.
“It’s such an honour for Taki to represent his iwi, hapū, kura and whānau at Gallipoli next year.”
AFS New Zealand said the organisation was proud to provide this once-in-a-lifetime experience in partnership with AFS Turkey and with support from the AFS Educational Trust.
“The award programme embodies AFS’s core mission of creating a more just and peaceful world through intercultural understanding and empathy.”
AFS was founded in 1914 as the American Field Service, and was a volunteer ambulance corps during both world wars. It changed its mission after World War II to focus on fostering peace through student exchange.
It has been offering exchange programmes to New Zealand students since 1947.
“Takikawa has been chosen to receive this award because of his excellent research and outstanding presentation of his great-uncle Rere Hauiti’s history with the First Māori Contingent,” AFS said.
“Also, how Takikawa and his whānau continue to honour those who sacrificed their lives to secure a better future for us and the next generation.”
