Te Tai Tokerau tertiary scholarship winners named

Northland Regional Council 2024 Tū i te ora scholarship winners. From left (top row) Huia Clarke, Barbara Goodwin, Isabella Jensen. (bottom row) Winiwini Kingi, Alyssa Olsen and Sequoia Stevens

Using science to identify Far North marae at risk from coastal erosion, green chemical science, and combining mātauranga Māori with western science helped secure scholarships for three Northland students.

Six Northland tertiary students have been selected for the Northland Regional Council Tū i te ora scholarship, which supports students in studies relating to its environmental and regulatory functions.

These functions contribute towards the council’s vision Tiakina te taiao, tuia te here tangata – Nurture the environment, bring together the people.

Scholarship recipient Huia Clarke said she wanted to be an example of someone from a small, low decile school who was achieving.

She said she hoped to encourage more Māori and more rural people to go to university.

Scholarship aims include building Te Tai Tokerau Māori capacity and helping students pursue further education, encouraging greater tertiary education uptake in environmental protection, and encouraging mātauranga Māori research and education.

The annual scholarships include three dedicated to Māori who whakapapa to Te Tai Tokerau.

The 2024 winners will each get $4000 and paid NRC work experience.

They will join NRC’s biosecurity partnerships, climate action, Māori relationships and predator free teams from November until February 2025.

The scholarship recipients are:

Huia Clarke (Te Uri Taniwha, Ngāti Rangi, Ngāti Hau, Ngāpuhi) from Ōhaeawai towards her Bachelor of Science, majoring in green chemical science at the University of Auckland.

Barbara Goodwin from Hikurangi towards her diploma in Environmental Management (level six at NorthTec Tai Tokerau Wānanga).

Isabella Jensen (Te Uri o Tai, Te Aupōuri, Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi) from Tokerau Beach and Hawke’s Bay towards her Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Arts Conjoint, majoring in Māori resource management and public policy at Victoria University of Wellington.

Winiwini Kingi (Te Kahu o Torongare, Ngāpuhi) from Whangārei towards his diploma in Environmental Management (level five at NorthTec Tai Tokerau Wānanga).

Aylssa Owen from Whangārei towards her Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)/Bachelor of Science Conjoint, majoring in engineering science and environmental science at the University of Auckland.

Sequoia Stevens (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Kuia) from North Hokianga’s Motukaraka towards her Bachelor of Resource and Environmental Planning minoring in Māori studies at Massey University.

The winners were selected from 51 applicants.

■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.