Hear from 膩konga M膩ori and Pasifika students and find out what it takes to achieve Scholarship at the highest level
Thinking about sitting Scholarship this year? Wondering if you鈥檝e got what it takes?
These video interviews share the journeys of our 2024 M膩ori and Pasifika Top Subject Scholars.
Hear how they navigated challenges, drew strength from their wh膩nau and kaiako and achieved success in Te Hiranga Scholarship.
Each story is a reminder that with support, belief in yourself and a willingness to give it a go, you can succeed in Te Hiranga Scholarship too.
[Screen shows intro slide with Top Scholar name and award. Music playing in the background]
[Luca Ririnui speaks to the camera]
Luca: Kia ora. Ko Mauao te maunga. Ko Tauranga te moana. Ko Mataatua te waka. Ko Ng膩i Te Rangi te iwi. Ko Ng膩ti He te hap奴. Ko Opopoti te marae. N艒 Tauranga Moana ahau. Ko Luca Ririnui t艒ku ingoa. N艒 reira t膿n膩 koutou, t膿n膩 koutou, t膿n膩 r膩 t膩tou katoa.
[Screen shows a montage of students and guests seated in the Banquet Hall at Parliament for the Top Scholar ceremony. Music playing in the background]
[Luca Ririnui speaks to the camera]
Luca: I鈥檓 really proud to represent my school here. It鈥檚 not a school that is recognised as much as I think it deserves to be. Like it鈥檚 a really great place ad I hope that the kids back home can believe in themselves, and anyone can get to a point where they are here and doing well.
[Screen shows Luca crossing the stage to receive his Top Scholar award]
[Luca Ririnui speaks to the camera]
Luca: Probably a bit of luck involved. I had a lot of support. I had a really great school who gave me a lot of freedom and a lot of time and lots of amazing teachers that I could go to for help. I think just having a positive mindset throughout, not trying to base my self-worth on the results at the end or on how I felt like I was performing.
[Screen shows Luca with his Top Scholar peers]
[Luca Ririnui speaks to the camera]
Luca: I鈥檇 say definitely give it a go. I think it鈥檚 not about the mark, it鈥檚 not about what you get at the end of it. It鈥檚 normally quite fun if it鈥檚 a subject that you care about and that you鈥檙e passionate about. It鈥檚 crazy, I never really expected to get this far but obviously a huge achievement and I鈥檓 pretty proud of that.
[Screen shows outro slide with 色诱直播 logo. Music playing in the background]
Luca never expected to become a Premier Scholar, but with strong support from his kura, great teachers, and a mindset focused on learning rather than results, he got there. He hopes his story shows others that success is possible no matter where you鈥檙e from.
"I hope that the kids back home can believe in themselves, anyone can get to a point where they are here and doing well."
[Screen shows intro slide with Top Scholar name and award. Music playing in the background]
[Temaea Teaeki speaks to the camera]
Temaea: Kia ora. Ko Temaea Teaeki t艒ku ingoa, me taku taha mareikura he uri t膿nei n艒 Ng膩i Te Rangi, Ng膩ti Kahungunu, Ng膩ti Porou me Te 膧ti Awa 膩 i taku taha whatukura he mangainga t膿nei n艒 ng膩 moutere o te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa motuhake nei n艒 te moutere o Kiribis.
[Screen shows students and guests being seated in the Banquet Hall at Parliament for the Top Scholar ceremony. Music playing in the background]
[Temaea Teaeki speaks to the camera]
Temaea: I t膿nei tau, kei te Whare W膩nanga o Waikato au e ako ana i t膿nei w膩 e whai ana au i taku tohu pakihi, e whakamana ana i te Accounting.
[Screen shows shots of the audience and speaker during the welcoming]
Temaea: Me te mea hoki, he iti raukura t膿nei n艒 Te Kura Kaupapa M膩ori o Te Koutu.
[Temaea Teaeki speaks to the camera]
Temaea: M艒ku ake t膿nei kairangitanga o te Top Scholar ki au he momo mea tautoko he momo mea akiaki i ng膩 tauira e ako tonu ana i te kura. He mea tauawhi i a r膩tou i roto i a r膩tou mahi i roto mai i te kura engari he mea hei akiaki i a r膩tou kia tae ki t膿tehi taumata an艒 i roto i a r膩tou mahi i te kura.
[Screen shows shots of Temaea seated with other Top Scholar students]
Temaea: M艒ku ake ko taku wh膩nau me aku kaiako. I te kura kaupapa, he kaha an艒 ng膩 kaiako te tauawhi i a koe i roto i o tini mahi katoa m膿n膩 r膩nei ko ng膩 mahi o roto mai o te kura o waho atu r膩nei. Koira pea aku tino tangata i roto i taku ao e kaha poipoi nei au i roto i aku mahi.
[Screen shows audience clapping]
[Temaea Teaeki speaks to the camera]
Temaea: I got the message and was like actually I don鈥檛 believe you let me check the website and then it had Temaea Teaeki and I was like 鈥渨holey, that happened鈥�. I was overseas, we were at a takeaway place overseas and that鈥檚 when I found out.
[Screen shows 膩konga from Te Kura M膩ori o Porirua performing waiata ngahau at ceremony]
[Temaea Teaeki speaks to the camera, screen shows Temaea crossing the stage to receive her award]
Temaea: The first person I told was actually my Mum. I had it on my phone, I was like 鈥淢um, Mum, Mum look at this鈥� she was just amazed, very supportive as well, and then alongside her was my kuia so that鈥檚 why they鈥檙e both here today.
[Screen shows one of Temaea鈥檚 wh膩nau performing a karanga after she receives her award]
[Temaea Teaeki speaks to the camera]
Temaea: You know from kohanga reo all the way through to kura kaupapa I鈥檝e had the support of my wh膩nau and also my kaiako so I think getting to that level of scholarship I think it鈥檚 from the help of everyone since kohanga until my final years at kura kaupapa.
[Screen shows Temaea amongst her Top Scholar peers]
[Temaea Teaeki speaks to the camera]
Temaea: For me personally it鈥檚 kind of like a little give back to the generations within my wh膩nau. From the tutukinga o t膿nei whakam膩tautau, I was able to say to my kuia 鈥渆 ora ana te reo i roto i t膩 m膩tou wh膩nau鈥�, that鈥檚 probably the main thing.
[Temaea Teaeki speaks to the camera]
Temaea: All the opportunities that are given to you just have a go at them, even if you are a bit unsure, you鈥檒l never know until you try. I think it鈥檚 going back to that whakaaro that you have nothing to lose but everything to gain. So back at kura it was compulsory to do Level 1-to Level 3 but doing Scholarship gave me that reassurance that you鈥檝e done that Taumata 1 - Taumata 3 and by achieving this it鈥檚 just a little extra addition.
[Screen shows outro slide with 色诱直播 logo. Music playing in the background]
Te Kura Kaupapa M膩ori o Te Koutu
Temaea reflects on her lifelong journey from k艒hanga reo to kura kaupapa, where the support of her wh膩nau and kaiako nurtured her success in achieving Top Scholar for Te Reo Rangatira.
鈥淔rom the tutukinga o t膿nei whakam膩tautau, I was able to say to my kuia, e ora ana te reo M膩ori i roto i t膩 m膩tou wh膩nau.鈥�
[Screen shows intro slide with Top Scholar name and award. Music playing in the background]
[Mareikura Mahaki speaks to the camera]
Mareikura: Kia ora. Ko Mareikura Mahaki t艒ku ingoa. He uri n艒 Te Arawa, Ng膩i T奴hoe, me Te Wh膩nau a Apanui. Kei te Whare W膩nanga o Waikato ahau.
[Screen shows Mareikura crossing the stage at Parliament to receive her Top Scholar award]
Mareikura: I was in my room just scrolling on Facebook and saw that the reults came out and I ran to my sister and showed her, and she told me that I got the Top Scholar.
[Mareikura Mahaki speaks to the camera, screen shows picture of Jaylene Tamati (Kaiako)]
Mareikura: My Te Ao Haka teacher she was really a big role model for me because she believed in me when sometimes I didn鈥檛 even believe in myself.
[Screen shows Mareikura standing on stage at the Top Scholar ceremony at Parliament while one of her wh膩nau performs a karanga]
[Mareikura Mahaki speaks to the camera]
Mareikura: I was the one who鈥檇 say I don鈥檛 wanna do the scholarship because I don鈥檛 think I鈥檓 good enough or my writing isn鈥檛 good enough but with a lot of support it goes a long way.
[Screen shows Mareikura and her wh膩nau being welcomed into the Te Matatini office for the Te Ao Haka Top Scholar ceremony]
[Mareikura Mahaki speaks to the camera]
Mareikura: Support from my wh膩nau, from my teachers, from my friends. My friends were a big help for me.
[Screen shows shots of the kaik艒rero during the p艒hiri at Te Matatini]
Mareikura: I was going to give up at some point, it got to the day before the scholarship, and I still had a bit more to write, and my friends told me to keep going.
[Mareikura Mahaki speaks to the camera]
Mareikura: If you have enough people saying that they believe in you, it will come to you eventually that you believe in yourself.
[Screen shows Mareikura and her wh膩nau taking photos at Te Matatini]
[Mareikura Mahaki speaks to the camera]
Mareikura: I didn't have the faith in me, but they did so it transferred from them to me and I鈥檓 very grateful for them.
[Screen shows Mareikura with her certificate, as well as the 2023 Te Ao Haka Top Scholar for Te Ao Haka, Awatea Rivers Hall]
[Mareikura Mahaki speaks to the camera]
Mareikura: I do feel a bit proud because not many people can say that they achieved the Top Scholar for Te Ao Haka.
[Screen shows outro slide with 色诱直播 logo. Music playing in the background]
Mareikura didn鈥檛 think she was good enough to sit Scholarship, but her kaiako, wh膩nau and friends reminded her she was. Now, she鈥檚 proud to be the 2024 Top Scholar for Te Ao Haka and hopes other 膩konga will give it a go too.
鈥淢y Te Ao Haka teacher, Jaylene Tamati, was a big role model for me. If you have enough people saying they believe in you, eventually you start to believe it too.鈥�
[Screen shows intro slide with Top Scholar name and award. Music playing in the background]
[Monica Lemalu speaks to the camera]
Monica: Greetings and talofa lava. My name is Monica Lemalu and I鈥檓 currently studying at the University of Auckland for a Bachelor of Commerce in my first year.
[Screen shows students and guests seated in the Banquet Hall at Parliament for the Top Scholar ceremony. Music playing in the background]
Monica: I hail from the villages of Matautu Lefaga and Vaovai Falealili
[Screen shows students and guests. Music playing in the background]
[Monica Lemalu speaks to the camera]
Monica: Top Scholar means to me as a high academic achievement and successful performance I have gained and received at my academic journey.
[Screen shows Monica crossing the stage to receive her Top Scholar award]
Monica: It is a collective award which is not just acknowledging my hard work and success, but it鈥檚 to acknowledge my family, my community, my parents and all the sacrifices that have supported my school journey.
[Monica Lemalu speaks to the camera]
Monica: My role model is my late Mama Melegalenu'u To鈥檃lepaiali鈥檌 Ah Sam which is my Samoan teacher.
[Screen shows photo tributes of her Samoan teacher]
Monica: She passed away last year. She was the one who encouraged me to do scholarship.
[Screen shows Monica standing on stage with her certificate next to the 色诱直播 Board Chair, Kevin Jenkins]
Monica: She motivated me during my school years at Mangere College and hopefully she鈥檚 proud of what I鈥檝e come this far.
[Monica Lemalu speaks to the camera]
Monica: If I can do it, why can鈥檛 you. Go give it a try. You never know until you try.
[Screen shows Monica with her Top Scholar peers]
[Monica Lemalu speaks to camera]
Monica: My top study tip will be don鈥檛 let others hold the pen for you. You have to take accountability and ownership for yourself.
[Screen shows Monica with her Top Scholar peers]
[Monica Lemalu speaks to camera]
Monica: There鈥檚 a Samoan saying 鈥淓 le maua fua se mea" which means you have to put all your hard work and effort and it will really pay off as a reward.
[Screen shows outro slide with 色诱直播 logo. Music playing in the background]
Hailing from the villages of Mata-Utu Lefaga, Siumu Safata, Matafa鈥檃 and Vaovai Falealili, Monica鈥檚 success is a tribute to her late teacher, her parents, and community. She encourages other students to take ownership of their learning journeys and to never underestimate the power of hard work.
鈥淓 le maua fua se mea 鈥� hard work and effort will be rewarded. If I can do it, why can鈥檛 you?鈥�
[Screen shows intro slide with Top Scholar name and award. Music playing in the background]
[Albert Siasau speaks to the camera]
lbert: Hi. My name is Albert Siasau. I'm from Auckland. I studied at Liston College and now I study at AUT.
[Screen shows students and guests being seated in the Banquet Hall at Parliament for the Top Scholar ceremony. Music playing in the background]
Albert: I found out last year in November from my art teacher.
[Albert Siasau speaks to the camera]
Albert: I did the subject out of curiosity, and when I started doing it, I just got more invested. And my teacher, mister Muni, pushed me more to do scholarship.
[Screen shows Albert crossing the stage to receive his Top Scholar award]
Albert: If you鈥檙e thinking about doing scholarship, there's not much to lose. Just do it. It's fun, and you'll learn a lot from it.
[Albert Siasau speaks to the camera]
Albert: I was pretty dedicated. I took time after to school and in my own time at home to do my work.
[Screen shows Albert standing on stage with his certificate next to the 色诱直播 Board Chair, Kevin Jenkins]
Albert: Probably don't rush things. Take your time. I was just surprised. I didn't think I'd take it that far because that was my first time doing art.
[Albert Siasau speaks to the camera]
Albert: Not much to lose when you start doing it. I mean, I got my brother doing it this year, so I'm trying to, I hope I inspired him because it was his first time doing sculpture too, so hopefully he makes it to the top.
[Screen shows outro slide with 色诱直播 logo. Music playing in the background]
Albert took up sculpture out of curiosity, and with the support of his teacher ended up achieving Top Scholar in his first year doing art. Now, he hopes his journey shows others that you don鈥檛 need to be an expert to start, you just need to give it a go.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think I鈥檇 take it that far鈥� that was my first time doing art.鈥�
[Screen shows intro slide with Top Scholar name and award. Music playing in the background]
[Frances Damu speaks to the camera]
Frances: Bula. My name is Frances Damu. I come from Fiji. I hail from the village of Sagani in Vanua Levu and I am the Top Scholar for Dance.
[Screen shows students and guests being seated in the Banquet Hall at Parliament for the Top Scholar ceremony. Music playing in the background]
[Frances Damu speaks to the camera]
Frances: To be a top scholar, I was able to prove to myself that I am capable of achieving great things as I鈥檝e never been the type to look for and apply for scholarships.
[Screen shows Frances crossing the stage to receive her Top Scholar award]
Frances: So, the fact that I was even able to complete a scholarship was already big enough for me. I would say the women in my family definitely inspired the scholarship, growing up and seeing how well they paved the way for me.
[Frances Damu speaks to the camera]
Frances: To someone who is thinking of doing scholarship, I鈥檇 say if it interests you or you just wanna give it a go then do it, there鈥檚 no harm in trying and you won鈥檛 really know the outcome of something if you don鈥檛 even give it a go. And I mean, I did it, I just wanted to give it a go and I鈥檓 here now so I鈥檓 super grateful for that.
[Screen shows Frances standing with Top Scholar peers]
Frances: Why do I think I was successful?
[Frances Damu speaks to the camera]
Frances: It was the peers and my teacher because they were the drive for me to push myself and be the best that I could be.
[Screen shows outro slide with 色诱直播 logo. Music playing in the background]
Frances hadn鈥檛 planned to do Scholarship, but inspired by her peers, teachers and the strong women in her family that paved the way for her, she gave it a go and achieved more than she imagined.
鈥淚 was able to prove to myself that I am capable of achieving great things.鈥�
[Screen shows intro slide with Top Scholar name and award. Music playing in the background]
[Aliki Wilson-Lousi speaks to the camera]
Aliki: Malo e lelei. My name is Aliki Wilson Loci. I go to Dilworth School, in Auckland, and I'm in year 13 this year.
[Screen shows students and guests being seated in the Banquet Hall at Parliament for the Top Scholar ceremony. Music playing in the background]
[Aliki Wilson-Lousi speaks to the camera. Screen shows guests seated at Top Scholar ceremony. Music playing in the background]
Aliki: What it means to be a top scholar is the exterior justification of your talent and the reassurance of your capacities in that selective subject.
[Aliki Wilson-Lousi speaks to the camera]
Aliki: The person who inspired me to do scholarship, is Roger Moses and he pulled me aside, and encouraged me to do, as many scholarships as I could, and I went forward and did it.
[Screen shows Aliki crossing the stage to receive his award from 色诱直播 Board Chair, Kevin Jenkins]
[Aliki Wilson-Lousi speaks to the camera]
Aliki: The reason why I think I was successful is because I had a concept in my head of how hard it would be, and I aimed as high as possible.
[Screen shows Aliki standing on stage next to 色诱直播 Board Chair, Kevin Jenkins]
[Aliki Wilson-Lousi speaks to the camera]
Aliki: So I prepared with excellence because I had a whole concept that this is the best in the country that I'm competing against, and I'm gonna try my absolute best.
[Screen shows Kevin Jenkins speaking, shots of audience, music playing in the background]
Aliki: To someone thinking of doing scholarship, just give it a go. You never know what will happen or how well you will perform on the day.
[Aliki Wilson-Lousi speaks to the camera]
Aliki: Even if you're not feeling, up to it leading up to the actual exam, if you're feeling underprepared, if you're feeling, oh, these are the best people in the country that are competing in the scholarship exam, I wouldn't think that. I would just go in and give it your best because you never know how you perform on the day.
[Screen shows outro slide with 色诱直播 logo, music playing]
Aliki shares how believing in his potential and preparing with purpose helped him succeed at the highest level. He credits his teacher, Roger Moses, for inspiring him to sit Scholarship and reminds others that success is possible, even if you don鈥檛 feel ready.
鈥淓ven if you feel like you鈥檙e up against the best in the country, just go for it, you never know how well you鈥檒l perform on the day.鈥�
If you perform well in a Scholarship exam, you could receive a monetary award to help with your tertiary studies.
If you earn the top mark in a Scholarship exam or do well across multiple Scholarship subjects, you will be invited, like the students featured above, to attend the Top Scholar Awards ceremony.
You can sit Scholarship for subjects like Te Reo M膩ori, Te Reo Rangatira, Te Ao Haka and Samoan. But there are other subjects you can enter too.
Scholarship offers more than academic achievement and financial reward. It's a chance to grow, challenge yourself, and fuel your passion for learning.
Students who take on Scholarship build confidence and critical thinking, while deepening their subject knowledge.
There鈥檚 no reason you can鈥檛 give it a go, and every reason to back yourself. Why not aim high and see where you land?
M膩ori and Pasifika students are more than capable of achieving Scholarship success.
We want schools to encourage more 膩konga M膩ori and Pasifika students to attempt Scholarship across all subjects, not just Te Reo M膩ori, Te Reo Rangatira, Te Ao Haka or Samoan, giving them access to a wider range of awards.
The Insights papers below show how kura can support M膩ori and Pasifika students to achieve academic excellence in Scholarship.
Supporting Equity for M膩ori and Pacific students in New Zealand Scholarship