Twenty-one students awarded scholarships
Twenty-one students from Māori, Pacific and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds were awarded 2016 scholarships by Pegasus Health (Charitable) Ltd.
Among them was fifth-year medical student Tara Millar, who has four young children.
Tara was inspired to embark on a health career by her grandmother, who was the nurse on Pitt Island for many years. “She always encouraged her grandchildren to go to university,” Tara says.
Having four children, aged 10, nine, four and 18 months, means studying is often challenging but Tara says she is grateful for the incredible support she receives from her husband and family. “Our kids are amazingly helpful too, they help around the house and the big kids help with the younger ones.”
“I was actually pregnant during my third year and gave birth on the day of my last exam, so I missed my exam. I was able to do it two days later though – and passed!”
The awards ceremony was held on 18 May 2016.
Māori Scholarships were awarded to seven recipients, of whom three are nursing students, three are studying medicine (including Tara) and one is studying social work.
This year’s Pacific Scholarships were presented to seven students. One is studying medicine, three are studying health science, two are training to be a nurse and the seventh is studying human services.
Mārie Hutana, a nursing student and ambulance officer, received one of the Pacific Scholarships. Half Fijian and half Māori, Mārie says she wants to improve health literacy in her communities.
Seven scholarships were awarded to students from CALD backgrounds. Six are training to be nurses and one is studying social work.
Xiaohong Wang of China was one of the students who received a CALD Scholarship. She is juggling her third year of nursing study with a young child and passed her final year exam just 10 days after giving birth.
In applying for a scholarship, each of the winners had to write a 1000-word essay about their backgrounds and their reasons for pursuing a health career.
Scholarship recipients
Maori scholarships
L-R back row: Renee Eaves (nursing); Harriet Carter (medicine); Tara Millar (medicine); Vanessa Olliver (nursing). L-R front row: Sophie McKellar (medicine); Neena Woodgate (nursing). Absent: Hannah Crozier (social work).
Pacific scholarships
L-R back row: Amosa Tualamalii (health sciences); Damaris Dekker (medicine/surgery); Alice Mareko (nursing); Suli Robert Tuitaupe (health sciences/nursing). L-R front row: Mārie Hutana (nursing); Anshni Kumar (health sciences); Keriata Kurene (human services).
CALD scholarships
L-R back row: Ruby Sadat (social work); Jai Kyong Chung (health sciences/nursing); Xiaohong (Wendy) Wang (nursing); Dan (Chloe) Gao (nursing). L-R front row: Ferishleh Aliwaisy (nursing); Elizabeth Varghese (nursing); Jann Dee (nursing).