Teenage teacher trainee from Hastings doubles as canoe polo World Champ

Hannah Hunt, a member of the New Zealand U21 Canoe Polo team, the Junior Paddle Ferns, won the Under 21 Canoe Polo World Championships in France while working on her teaching degree. Photo / Supplied

Hastings teenager Hannah Hunt has had a busy first year out of high school.

Not only did the 19-year-old start her EIT Bachelor of Teaching on a Year 13 and Sports scholarship, but she has also won a World Championship in Canoe Polo.

Growing up in Hawke's Bay, Hunt attending Mahora Primary and Hastings Intermediate before going to Karamu High School.

At Karamu, she developed her love for canoe polo - at the same time realising she wanted to become a primary school teacher.

Each year EIT Te Pūkenga offers scholarships to potential students and last year Hunt was awarded the Year 13 Scholarship.

It covers one year of tuition fees, including any course-related costs that have been approved, as part of the scholarship.

Combined with the Government Fees Free initiative, Year 13 Scholarship recipients like Hunt will receive fees-free tuition for their first two years of studying.

For her canoe polo success, Hannah was also awarded the Sport Hawke's Bay, EIT Sports Scholarship for 2022, which is aimed at assisting top sports performers in training and studying in the region.

This made the decision to study at EIT easy for Hunt.

She said the EIT teaching degree, being hands-on and practical, was definitely a selling point.

Another plus for the teenager was that she could live at home and still play canoe polo at her local club while studying.

"The Under 21 Canoe Polo World Championships was always on the table this year and I did not want to make a commitment to going away to university with that being my focus," said Hunt.

Staying in the Bay has resulted in a busy year for Hunt, with an intensive first year of her degree seeing her spend two days a week at Frimley School, one of EIT's partnership schools.

The most exciting part of Hunt's busy year was her victory as part of the New Zealand U21 Canoe Polo team, the Junior Paddle Ferns, at the world championships in France.

Hunt explained she was named as a non-travelling reserve for the NZ under-21 teams and said, 'it was quite cool to be named this as a member of the team that would actually get to play."

The team went on to take out the top spot, and Hunt said it was "fantastic that we were able to win."

"Next time won't be easy because we will have a target on our backs," she said.

At just 19, there is every possibility that Hunt will again make the Junior Paddle Ferns for the next world championships.

She also plans to travel to Europe, where canoe polo is very popular, and she would have opportunities to develop in her sport.

For now, she is focused on her Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) through EIT and has no hesitation in recommending the qualification.

"What I like about it is that you learn pretty quickly whether you're going to love it or hate it because you are in a classroom.

"It is also such a supportive learning environment where you're always learning whether it's the theory or the practical side," Hunt said.

Programme coordinator for EIT's Bachelor of Teaching Primary, associate professor Emily Nelson, said: "We were very happy to support Hannah to attend the World Champs while she studies her Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) with us, as national selection is a great honour.

"It's also great for children to have teachers who role model sporting excellence and the perseverance and determination to succeed on the world stage."