Margaret Young, wearing a greenstone pendant and earrings gifted by the kōhanga reo, E Tipu E Rea Taraia.

Maraenui mother-of-five Margaret Young is the thrilled winner of an EIT Ōtātara Trust Scholarship – an award that will fund a laptop and help further her study. 

The Bachelor of Arts (Māori) student is one of five scholarship winners, each of whom receives $2500.

Margaret’s journey to learn the Maori language began as a voluntary mother help, supporting her children attending a local kōhanga reo.

“It was for this very kaupapa that my desire to speak, share and teach te reo Māori was planted, watered and nurtured.”

Once she has completed her degree, the straight A final-year student wants to progress onto the conjoint Massey University/EIT Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Secondary) offered on the EIT campus.

Margaret is married to Willie, a forestry worker, and four of the couple’s five children live at home.  Simultaneous with her degree study, she is also working towards another EIT qualification – the National Certificate in Computing (Level 2).    

“I feel very privileged to have the opportunity to learn to speak te reo,” she says, “and one day soon I hope to get the opportunity to share what I have learnt with many others.”

The selection panel awarding the scholarships said it received 48 applications and all were of a high calibre and deserving cases.  Other winners are:   

•  Ben Chalken of Napier who, having completed EIT’s Bachelor of Business Studies with an A average,  is now undertaking the Graduate Diploma in Professional Accounting with a view to becoming a Chartered Accountant.
•  Mary Edwards of Havelock North, a solo mother of three in the second year of a Bachelor of Nursing degree.  Mary is a member of the Maori student nurses’ group Take Take and is a strong advocate for te rēo.  She is a volunteer for Women’s Refuge.  Her five to ten-year plan is to study for a Master of Nursing degree.   
•  Florence Hemi, who travels to EIT from Otane, is a full-time, is second-year Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) student who has achieved an A average.  Florence is the mother of two preschoolers and works as a volunteer at a childcare centre two days a week.
• Silofa Taulo is planning to put her scholarship funds towards a car.    Living in Marewa, Silofa catches two buses to EIT and ferries her preschool daughter to childcare.  The final-year Visual Arts and Design student has achieved a string of A passes at EIT and is passionate about working in 3D design and interior design.