Phoebe Awatea-i-te-Rangi Riddell’s middle name sounds like a piece of poetry - it means Dawning in the Sky, a name given to her by her grandmother. She is so thankful for the Year 13 Grant which enables her to live and study in her own home town.
Phoebe Riddell misses all the student parties she could be attending away in a university city but she says there are huge advantages to living and studying in her own home town.
After finishing her Year 13/7th form and gaining NCEA Level 3 at Gisborne Girls’ High School last year, Phoebe was unsure what to do next.
She was keen to get a full-time job with a view to buying a house or travelling the world but despite energetic efforts to find work, she ended up on an unemployment benefit, feeling highly frustrated.
Winz referred her to EIT Tairawhiti where she discovered she was eligible for a Year 13 Study Grant which pays her fees for the first year of a degree programme and half the fees for the second year.
Phoebe decided to enrol in the New Zealand Diploma in Business, Level 6, and now half way through her first year, she is extremely happy with her choice and is looking ahead to study a Bachelor of Business Studies (Marketing) , also at EIT Tairawhiti.
Living at home, not having to pay up to $200 a week rent for a flat in a university city, and receiving support from the grant mean Phoebe does not have a crippling student loan to pay off at the end of her studies.
“Life in Gizzy is pretty quiet during the term — I’m a bit of a ‘nana’ and I often stay home on a Saturday night and watch movies with my boyfriend. But the plus side is all the money I’ve saved by studying in Gisborne.
“Most students say they just can’t cope financially away at uni without a whole lot of help from their parents.”
Phoebe says the small class sizes at EIT Tairawhiti are another major bonus.
“My friends at uni say they are too scared to ask questions of their lecturers because the classes are so huge, they don’t want to interrupt.”
She also enjoys the close relationship with the tutors. Her business communications lecturer, Steve Hinge, is a real inspiration, she says.
“He’s so excited about his topic, we all pick up his enthusiasm. And he’s incredibly knowledgeable, helpful and highly organised.
“And my other tutor, Rebecca Shields, is great too and so helpful leading up to assignment deadlines when you need a bit of guidance.
“The other cool thing is I have a school friend in my classes so I have a study-buddy. Steve says Phoebe is a delight to teach.
“She engaged with the course material energetically, and I enjoyed the interesting perspectives she frequently brought to class. I think Phoebe is going to do well on the NZ Diploma in Business programme and I wouldn’t be surprised if she goes on to complete our Bachelor of Business Studies degree,” says Steve.
For Phoebe, it’s a win-win situation.
“The Year 13 grant encouraged me to make the decision to further my studies rather than try to get a job, as I had nothing to lose and so much to gain. Receiving this support means I have less debt to repay in future as I not only save on fees but also on living costs.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank EIT Tairawhiti for making this grant available to me and others, for supporting us to better ourselves through higher-level education, and enabling us to study at HOME.”