UCOL Awards Multiple Scholarships To Support Revitalisation Of The Māori Language And Culture

UCOL celebrated another year of growth in its scholarships portfolio last week on the Manawatu Campus, with more than 60 ākonga having collectively received scholarships valued at over $68,000.

Scholarship recipients from all four of UCOL’s campuses attended the event, expressing their gratitude to the generous donors who have made their educational journeys possible. The evening was marked by celebrations with whānau and friends, highlighting the sense of community that these scholarships foster.

Jazz Groves, Operations Lead at UCOL, expressed her gratitude explaining how the generosity of our donors really does make a significant difference to our ākonga through scholarships.

“Each donor sets the intent and criteria for those they seek to support, this covers everything from effort to achievement, in memorial scholarships, supporting our rainbow ākonga, right through to Women in Trades”.

“This year I was overwhelmed by the response of a scholarship set up many years ago, the Fenton Te Rauparaha (Ralph) Flavell Memorial Scholarship, its purpose was to encourage and assist Māori learners in their pursuit of a higher level of learning that pertains to the survival and revitalisation of the Māori language and culture. This year’s calibre of applicants was outstanding as was their proven commitment to te reo me ona tikanga (the Māori language and customs), four ākonga were presented scholarships of $1,000 each”.

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An audience comprising ākonga, kaimahi (staff), and whānau came together to celebrate. One of the Graduate Women Scholarship recipients, Monique Priest, was unable to attend but conveyed her appreciation, saying, "I am incredibly grateful to have been a recipient of this award. This scholarship not only alleviates some of the financial burdens of my education but also motivates me to strive for excellence in my studies. Receiving the award in my final year of study provided that extra bit of motivation that I needed in order to keep striving to do my best and finish strong and for that I am grateful!"

UCOL also celebrated the awarding of two new scholarships this year thanks to Te Whatu Ora MidCentral and THINK Hauora, to specifically support our rainbow (LGBTQIA+) community.

“Our gratitude continues as we were thrilled to celebrate the first ever recipients of these two rainbow scholarships. Partnering with our community to make these happen has been really wonderful for these learners.”

UCOL remains dedicated to making education accessible and promoting academic excellence, thanks to the unwavering support of our benefactors and partners. These scholarships empower ākonga, opening doors to new opportunities and brighter futures.

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