Students from many cultures awarded scholarships
Eighteen health students from Māori, Pacific and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds were awarded Pegasus Health's annual scholarships in July 2015.
The students, studying medicine, nursing and allied health, were selected from what organisers said was "an almost overwhelming number of entries".
Pegasus Health CEO Vince Barry says, "The people that were chosen were of a very high calibre. They were from incredibly diverse backgrounds and will contribute greatly to the cultural and linguistic richness of the health sector."
The Māori Scholarships were awarded to seven recipients, of whom three were nursing students and four were studying medicine. This year’s Pacific Scholarships were presented to five students. Two were studying health science, two were studying medicine and the fifth was training to be a nurse. Six scholarships were awarded to students from CALD backgrounds. Four were training to be nurses, one was studying medicine and one was studying social work.
In applying for a scholarship, students had to write a 1000-word essay, saying how they would make a difference to the community in their careers.
Medical student Jayden Ball, who was awarded one of the Māori Scholarships, said having grown up on the east side of Christchurch, his main aspiration was to complete his degree, with the best results he could, and give back to his community by working there when he graduated.
Lurita Kurene, who is training to be a nurse at CPIT, said her personal experience of caring for her grandparents inspired her career choice and her long-term aspiration was to qualify as a Nurse Practitioner. She was awarded a Pacific Scholarship.
Fifth year medical student Uddaka Wijesinghe, who received a CALD Scholarship, said as a future Canterbury doctor he felt he could make a difference, given his migrant background and commitment to culturally competent care, advocacy and evidence based solutions.
Pegasus Health Chair Professor Les Toop says, "It was wonderful to see the high standard of entries and to know that these students would soon be joining the health workforce in our communities."
To date Pegasus Health has awarded more than 70 scholarships to outstanding Māori, Pacific and CALD health students.
The successful students were:
Māori Scholarships
Anika Tiplady (medicine); Kennedy Sarich (medicine); Jayden Ball (medicine); Chivala Heal (medicine); Andrea Wicks (nursing); Lilian Neena Woodgate (nursing); and Vanessa Olliver (nursing).
Back L-R: Kennedy Sarich, Andrea Wicks, Chivala Heal, Jayden Ball and Vanessa Olliver
Front L-R: Lilian Neena Woodgate, Anika Tiplady
Pacific Scholarships
Beaudicia Carrasco (medicine); Marcus Bentley (medicine); Lurita Kurene (nursing); Noman Mene-Vaele (health sciences); and Suli Tuitaupe (health sciences).
Back L-R: Noman Mene-Vaele, Marcus Bentley, Suli Tuitaupe
Front L-R: Beaudicia Carrasco, Lurita Kurene
CALD Scholarships
Uddaka Wijesinghe (Sri Lankan, medicine); Susan Yu Gao (Chinese, nursing); Shannon Solomon (South African, nursing); Yasmin Abdulkadir (Somali, nursing); Anna Francisco (Filipino, nursing); and Chang Hun Yu (Korean, social work).
Back L-R: Natu Rama - Chair, CALD Reference Group, Susan Yu Gao, Shannon Solomon, Uddaka Wijesinghe
Front L-R: Anna Francisco, Chang Hun Yu
Absent: Yasmin Abdulkadir