Whitireia Foundation Awards $96,000 In Scholarships To Support Student Study

Forty ākonga (students) have been awarded scholarships to the total value of $96,000 to support study at Whitireia and WelTec in 2024. The scholarships were awarded at a recent ceremony attended by whānau, friends, sponsors, local council members and Whitireia and WelTec kaimahi.

Leativaosalafai Naomi Tuaau, Whitireia Bachelor of Nursing Pacific (Year 3), is deeply grateful to have received a Whitireia Foundation Scholarship sponsored by Tū Ora Compass Health. Having migrated from Samoa 12 years ago with her husband and children, and residing in Cannons Creek Porirua, Leativaosalafai’s journey to becoming a nurse has been shaped by a care for others.

She discovered a profound sense of fulfilment in her work supporting and caring for aged care residents. "This experience ignited my ambition to pursue nursing more formally, leading me to work with the Maraeroa Marae Health Clinic Covid-19 Vaccination Centre during the pandemic, where I gained hands-on experience in a more dynamic medical environment."

Leativaosalafai says that both her experience supporting aged care residents, and work with the Covid-19 clinic, strengthened her commitment to nursing. "These roles deepened my understanding of patient care and reinforced my commitment to making a difference in the lives of those I serve. Receiving this scholarship is so much more than financial assistance, it will enable me to pursue a career where I can make a meaningful contribution to my community."

Whitireia Foundation Chair Kelvin Irvine says having the support of the scholarships and the sponsors can be a powerful experience. "For many of the recipients, they will be the first in their family to continue to tertiary education. Support from the Whitireia Foundation, and the sponsors who can act as mentors, really does provide ākonga (students) with a way into study or to continue their learning journey, and the opportunity to forge a future in their chosen career or industry."

Kelvin says the team of Whitireia Foundation trustees work closely with an amazing group of both long-standing and new sponsors who are committed to supporting ākonga (students). "Our sponsors represent a significant breadth of experience in the region and recognise the importance of vocational education in creating meaningful outcomes for ākonga (students). Since the Foundation started in 2000, we’ve been able to award scholarships totalling over $1.6 million and have helped over 900 ākonga (students) achieve their goals."

Mark Oldershaw, Executive Director of Whitireia and WelTec, says that it is hugely rewarding to be able to help these ākonga (students). "Many face, or have faced, extraordinary challenges and the Foundation provides them with the support they need to gain a qualification, which can often be a pathway to a better outcome for them and also their families."

The Whitireia Foundation gratefully acknowledges the following sponsors:

Alpha NZ Ltd

Britton Housemovers

Tū Ora Compass Health

Excel Digital

Ford Sumner Lawyers

Foster + Melville Architects

Gee & Hickton Funeral Directors

Geraldine Lyndhurst

Graduate Women Wellington

J A Russell Ltd

James and Janet Goggin

Kirk-Burnnand Family

M Walton

Maude and Miller

Montage Interiors

Ngāti Toa Rangatira

Nikau Foundation

P & M Waite

Porirua City Council

Red Wolf Security

YMCA (Y Foundation)

Whitireia Foundation

The Foundation is a registered charitable trust and is independent of Whitireia and WelTec tertiary education institutions.

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