The 2023 scholarship recipients Imogen Amor-Bendall (left), Will Batten, King Maxwell, Oli Gillies, Holly Flyger and Kyle McVey. Matai scholarships have funded 43 students from a number of schools in the Tairāwhiti region to date. Photo / Supplied
The 2023 scholarship recipients Imogen Amor-Bendall (left), Will Batten, King Maxwell, Oli Gillies, Holly Flyger and Kyle McVey. Matai scholarships have funded 43 students from a number of schools in the Tairāwhiti region to date. Photo / Supplied
Applications have opened for the Mātai Medical Research Institute school leaver scholarships.
The scholarships support New Zealand’s future innovators in medical research, science and technology.
Mātai chief executive Dr Samantha Holdsworth said the institute raised scholarship funds annually to support Year 13 students in Tairāwhiti pursuing tertiary studies in science,health and technology.
“Contributions go toward investing in local talent to build future leaders who can eventually bring knowledge and talent back home, and give back to the community,” Holdsworth said.
“Many of the students go on to become summer interns.”
Sophie Hawthorne was a Mātai-Pultron scholarship winner in 2021. She has since completed a Bachelor of Applied Science in Medical Imaging through UCOL and works as a medical imaging technologist in Hawke’s Bay.
Last year, Mātai was able to support 19 students thanks to Turanga Health, Dawson Building Co., Quest Trust, Mangatawa Beale Williams Memorial Trust, Pultron Composites, Dr Katharine Holdsworth, and the Peter and Bronwen Holdsworth Family.
The scholarships have been awarded every year since 2021.
“By investing in local talent early, alongside the scholarship supporters, Mātai hopes to foster a generation of leaders who will contribute to cutting-edge research, improve healthcare outcomes and bring their skills back to uplift their communities,” Holdsworth said.
Sophie Hawthorne was one of the first recipients of the Mātai-Pultron scholarship in 2021.
She had since completed a Bachelor of Applied Science in Medical Imaging through UCOL and was now working as a medical imaging technologist in Hawke’s Bay, with her sights set on post-graduate training in MRI.
“I have found my passion in delivering imaging services and truly love my job,” Hawthorne said.
“Spending time in the MRI suite with Paul and Taylor [Mātai MRI technologists] back in my first year of study definitely seeded my interest in MRI and opened my eyes to the impact that imaging services have on not only patient pathways but the possibilities of research in the healthcare industry.”
Imogen Amor-Bendall received a Mātai scholarship in 2023 and took part in the Mātai summer internship programme in the summers of 2023 and 2024.
She is now in her final year of a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Neuroscience at the University of Otago.
“The Mātai student scholarship played a huge role in supporting my move to Dunedin and enabling me to pursue my undergraduate studies,” Amor-Bendall said.
“Learning about the brain, taking an elective psychology paper, and being part of the Mātai summer internship all helped guide my decision to major in neuroscience. This has allowed me to explore how the brain functions, and how it interacts with the body and environment to shape our behaviours and emotions.”
Students can apply for a scholarship until September 5 at matai.org.nz/scholarships
