AMP supports Mangere student’s goal to help her community

11 December 2013

AMP supports Mangere student’s ambitious goal to help her community

AMP’s sponsorship of the First Foundation was celebrated last night with the presentation of a University scholarship to Fa’aoge Lutu, a Year 13 Pacific Island student from Southern Cross Campus in Mangere.

Fa’aoge aspiration is to graduate from Law school, to be a role model in the Pacific Island community, and to provide legal assistance to those who need it most.

For many of the 29 students who were awarded scholarships last night, they are the first in their family to attend University, and as such they are choosing an unfamiliar path and demonstrating remarkable ambition.

"I'm out to make a change in the future for my community,” said Fa’aoge Lutu. “And the scholarship is a stepping stone toward that goal.

"My goal is to open my own law firm in Mangere to give advice to my community and eventually to work in Samoa.”

First Foundation is an educational trust that brings businesses and schools together to give young New Zealanders with great talent, but few financial resources, a ‘hand up’ to tertiary education. AMP’s legal team had been looking for a meaningful way of giving back to the community, and supporting promising law students who need help through the First Foundation was a natural fit.

AMP’s Executive Legal Counsel Therese Singleton said, “We were very impressed by Fa’aoge’s application for the scholarship and after meeting her we could tell that she has enormous potential.

“For someone of her age to have such a clear vision of how she can help her community is remarkable and we look forward to helping her achieve her goals.”

Under the First Foundation’s scholarship system, AMP will provide: a substantial contribution to Fa’aoge’s law degree tuition fees; paid work experience while she is studying; and mentoring. Ms Singleton will be Fa’aoge’s mentor but wants her whole team to be involved as preparation for future mentoring.

“There is a natural synergy in this project for our team as lawyers, and also for AMP as a company because it holds true to the strong community-focused ethos, which is a legacy of its history as a mutual, founded by civic-minded people,” said Ms Singleton.

Fa’aoge said, "I feel overwhelmed by the opportunity that AMP has given me, this will make a big difference and I'm very grateful."

Fa’aoge will attend Auckland University next year to study Law and Pacific Studies.

ENDS

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