Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

Experience brings Otago within reach for scholarship recipient

Hamilton News
21 Aug, 2018 02:54 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Hamilton Boys' High School graduate Joseph Graham is midway through his first year at the University of Otago with support from a Tu Kahika Scholarship. Photo / Supplied

Hamilton Boys' High School graduate Joseph Graham is midway through his first year at the University of Otago with support from a Tu Kahika Scholarship. Photo / Supplied

A book by one of the most influential Māori doctors in recent memory helped an 18-year-old Hamilton student pursue a career that has been years in the making.

Joseph Graham, of Ngai Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Tainui, and Ngāti Manawa descent, is midway through his first year at the University of Otago with support from a Tū Kahika Scholarship.

The scholarship – sometimes referred to as TK – supports Māori students through a Foundation Year in Dunedin, preparing them for further study in Otago's Health Sciences First Year (HSFY) course while guaranteeing accommodation in a residential college, and financial assistance for their tuition fees and accommodation costs.

HSFY is a prerequisite for those going on to study Dentistry, Medical Laboratory Science, Medicine, Pharmacy, or Physiotherapy at Otago.

Joseph says he has so far enjoyed settling into a new phase and has just finished his first round of examinations. Adapting to a new style of learning has been something he has embraced.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"There's no one on your case 24/7, so you're by yourself – you've got to put in the work," he says.

"I'm enjoying it more this year because I think I learn better that way, to find my drive."

For most of his time at Hamilton Boys' High School, Joseph was juggling between becoming a pilot, or moving towards the medical field. Reading Dr Lance O'Sullivan's book The Good Doctor was the turning point.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"That just really inspired me and drove me to try and go to university and do medicine."

With his career path set, the next decision was between Otago and the University of Auckland. He spent a week in Dunedin as part of REACH, an initiative aimed at helping prospective students get a taste of the various health science programmes.

It didn't take long for Joseph to fall in love with Otago, and he has been connecting with
his 16 fellow Tū Kahika scholarship recipients in and out of the classroom.

For Māori Health Workforce Development Unit project manager Zoe Bristowe, connecting with other people is a core component of the Tū Kahika programme.

"TK students are all very committed to improving Māori health and well-being and actively support one another to achieve their study and career goals," Ms Bristowe says.

"The students are now represented across a range of health professional degree programmes and increasingly in the health workforce.

"It's a great preparation programme for young Māori interested in careers in health."

Joseph says a tree-planting exercise with the Kati Huirapa community at Puketeraki recently undertaken by the scholars was an important element to helping him feel like he was settling in Dunedin.

"That was really good to do some community activity, it was just sort-of like being back
at home.

"Tree planting is something we do quite often back home, and doing it down here with other Māori was just really relaxing and soothing."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Waikato News

Lifestyle

Watch: Smokefreerockquest and Showquest's finals around the motu

03 Jul 06:00 AM
Waikato Herald

Rangitīkei fencer regains Golden Pliers title

02 Jul 06:00 PM
Waikato Herald

Enraged 'mistress' kills innocent motorist while chasing man's wife over family photo

02 Jul 06:43 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Waikato News

Watch: Smokefreerockquest and Showquest's finals around the motu

Watch: Smokefreerockquest and Showquest's finals around the motu

03 Jul 06:00 AM

The latest highlights of talented up-and-coming musicians competing around the country.

Rangitīkei fencer regains Golden Pliers title
Waikato Herald

Rangitīkei fencer regains Golden Pliers title

02 Jul 06:00 PM
Enraged 'mistress' kills innocent motorist while chasing man's wife over family photo
Waikato Herald

Enraged 'mistress' kills innocent motorist while chasing man's wife over family photo

02 Jul 06:43 AM
Popular Waikato walkway fully reopens after major upgrade
Waikato Herald

Popular Waikato walkway fully reopens after major upgrade

02 Jul 05:00 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP