Category: Alumni

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One of three annual awards generously sponsored by Bed, Bath & Beyond, this $5,000 award is to assist a woman enrolled in a three-year degree course at the Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT).

Samantha Vehikite pictured (right) with Carolyn Brown from Bed, Bath & Beyond and Nina Tomaszyk from Kate Edger Foundation received the inaugural award in 2019 as she was about to embark on a 3 year Bachelor of Nursing degree with MIT.  Samantha says that receiving the award played a huge role in achieving her goal of becoming a nurse.

” From a young age, I was never set on a career pathway and continued to change my mind however, my desire and passion to improve people’s lives and provide support to those in need never changed.  A career path in Nursing enabled me to fulfill this drive and passion.
Completing my bachelor’s degree has come with its challenges, especially with the limitations of COVID-19, but it also enabled me to increase my drive and passion and has deepened my love for nursing significantly. “

Samantha finished her degree at the beginning of December and is now officially a Registered Nurse, a dream come true after 3 years of hard work and dedication.  She has also been offered her dream job of surgical nursing at Middlemore Hospital, beginning in 2023.

” Since beginning my degree, I have experienced many amazing opportunities and experiences that have inspired and driven me as well as made me fall in love with this career pathway. These experiences have enabled me to see life and how quickly it can change and as a result has made me thankful for all the opportunities open to me.  I want to thank the Kate Edger Foundation and Bed, Bath & Beyond for allowing me the opportunity to be a recipient of this scholarship and for your amazing support towards me throughout.”

ia ora koutou, ko akbara te maunga, ko urdun te awa, ko al jalil te moana, ko tamaki toku kainga, no falesteen a iraq ahau, ko askari toku whanau, ko Mira toku ingoa.

It is with immense gratitude and humility that I stand before you today as a recipient of the Kate Edger Women in Law Award. I am truly honored to represent not only myself but also the exceptional group of awardees who share a common aspiration – the pursuit of education with a purpose. This award resonates deeply with the values upheld by the Trust’s remarkable namesake, Kate Edger, a visionary advocate of women’s education and empowerment.

As I reflect on my journey, I am reminded of the pivotal role that Kate Edger’s legacy has played in shaping my path. I stand here not merely as a recipient of an award, but as a product of the ideals that Kate Edger personified – the belief that education goes beyond the boundaries of the classroom and equips us with the tools to create a better world.

Kate Edger’s unwavering dedication to women’s education and her advocacy for change through civic engagement deeply resonate with the work I am privileged to do today. The legal profession, much like Kate’s fight for suffrage, holds the power to effect transformative change. Just as she championed women’s rights through education and civic participation, I see the legal field as a conduit for justice and progress. In a world where equality and justice are not always guaranteed, I am committed to using my skills and knowledge to advocate for those whose voices are often unheard, to uphold the principles of fairness and equality that Kate herself held dear.

In addition to my studies, I’m deeply committed to making a positive impact in the law school community. As a co-Equity Officer at the Law School, I engage in addressing student equity issues both in the law school and beyond. Working closely with the Faculty equity staff, I ensure that the concerns of our diverse student body are heard and acted upon effectively. I’m proud to lead the Equity Council, which brings together various Law School equity groups like Māori, Pasifika, Asian, and Rainbow law clubs. Through this collaborative effort, we’re striving to amplify the voices of underrepresented communities and bring about fairness.

Part of my job is also connecting directly with fellow law students to ensure their equity-related concerns are properly addressed by the Faculty. This means building an inclusive and supportive environment within the law school, which is both challenging and fulfilling. My role as an Equity Officer lets me contribute to creating a better experience for diverse law students, something I deeply value.

Outside of my Equity Officer role, my passion for humanitarian causes drives me to participate in groups like Amnesty on Campus and Student Justice for Palestine. These opportunities have allowed me to actively advocate for human rights and raise awareness about crucial social justice issues. I’ve also been fortunate to contribute to campaigns promoting equality for marginalized communities.

When Kate Edger boldly applied for a university scholarship under the gender-neutral initials K. Edger, she exemplified courage and determination that continues to inspire. Her determination to learn and excel in a predominantly male academic environment is a testament to the perseverance that resides within us all. In a field like law, it’s common to battle imposter syndrome, feeling inadequate or out of place. However, just like Kate Edger’s pioneering spirit, we must rise above these doubts. Remember, our unique voices and perspectives are essential for reshaping the legal landscape.

Kate Edger’s legacy extends far beyond her own achievements; it lives on through the lives she touched and the ideals she instilled. The values she upheld, emphasizing intellectual achievement, humility, and public service, continue to shape generations of women striving to make a difference. Her legacy is evident not only in the halls of academia but also in the very fabric of society, as women like me endeavor to break barriers and drive positive change.

Today, as I accept this award with gratitude in my heart, I extend my appreciation to the Kate Edger Trust Board for recognizing the potential in each of us and for keeping Kate Edger’s vision alive through this remarkable initiative. This award is not merely a recognition of my personal accomplishments; it is a recognition of the collective potential that education and determination hold to shape a brighter future.

Sarah Byrne

Student Music Therapist at the Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust & 2023 recipient of The KEECT Master of Music Therapy Award sponsored by Mr. Ellis Coxon & supported by The Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust. 

Sarah is based in Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty and has started her second semester of the Master of Music Therapy Programme at Victoria University in Wellington.  She will be working with the regional Bay of Plenty Raukatauri team during her placement.

Sarah grew up learning classical piano and enjoys working with a variety of instruments as well as voice. Alongside her music studies, Sarah has a post-graduate degree in primary teaching.  As a teacher, she has experienced first hand the power of music in the classroom environment to support children with emotional and behavioural issues, and is is especially passionate about the ability of music to improve the wellbeing/hauora of our tamariki.

Having worked in a number of community-focused organisations previously, Sarah believes music therapy has a special role to play in supporting self-expression and identity building for people of all ages and backgrounds.  She hopes through her connections with the teaching and music communities in her area to be able to expand the role of music therapy in schools.

Outside of music therapy, Sarah enjoys spending time with her family, reading and exploring the wonderful nature of New Zealand.

Sinead Hegarty

Student Music Therapist at the Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust & 2023 recipient of The KEECT Master of Music Therapy Award sponsored by the Gattung Foundation & supported by The Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust. 

Sinead lives in the Hawkes Bay and is in her final year studying for a Master of Music Therapy degree at Victoria University. This scholarship comes with a monetary award of $8,000 and a minimum 750 hour placement with the Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust. Sinead has chosen a highly important topic for her Masters research, based around how music therapy might be used to support community wellbeing during times of high stress and instability. We are thrilled to support Sinead’s journey towards a career in music therapy.

“I am beyond grateful to be selected as a recipient, I am excited and privileged to be able to carry out my final year of Masters research and placement in my home town. Due to the impact Cyclone Gabrielle has had on Hawkes bay, I am interested in looking at the role of music therapy in building and strengthening communities significantly impacted. I am particularly interested in trauma-informed, community based and bicultural ways of working. Through my placement with Raukatauri and support from this scholarship I hope to deepen my understanding of my emerging practice and develop an authentic way of working as a music therapist to support individuals and communities to access inner resources and tools to support healing and wellbeing. I feel empowered and well supported by this scholarship and the inspiring team at Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust.” Sinead

Sinead’s musical background is predominantly in guitar, singing and song writing, having completed a diploma of music from Hawkes Bay’s Eastern institute of technology. Sinead enjoys the relational aspects of music and aims to develop a practice that facilitates safe and inclusive spaces for people to experience a genuine sense of belonging.

Through her study so far, Sinead has experience working with adults with intellectual disability and adults and adolescents experiencing complex mental health challenges.

Before studying music therapy, Sinead completed a bachelor of science in genetics at Otago and afterwards travelled overseas, living in Spain and Morocco. Sinead has a deep respect for non-western world views and believes in the importance of inter-cultural dialogue. Sinead hopes to continue developing cultural competency through her placement and professional development with Raukatauri.

Abridged from an article originally published by the Unitec Media Team, June 2022

Bachelor of Architecture graduate and Ngā Wai A Te Tūī researcher Keisha Rawiri (Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Hāmoa) pictured on the left with her mother, has been awarded one of The KEECT Master’s Awards valued at $8000 to help fund her Master of Architecture (Professional) Project supporting the regeneration of the Tau Henare Marae in Te Taitokerau (Northland).

KEECT Awards Coordinator Katrina Ford says Keisha’s hard work and determination to succeed combined with dedication to her whānau and community epitomizes the values of the Trust.  “What made her application special compared to the many other excellent applications is how her referees spoke about how Keisha supports her colleagues and fellow students, despite her many commitments. The application process for the Master’s Degree Awards is very competitive. This is the first time a student from Unitec has received one of our Master’s Awards, so we hope that Keisha’s success will encourage other Unitec students to apply.”

It is a significant milestone for Keisha, who took up her studies as a mature student to pursue her dream as a teenager of becoming an architect.  She says that her interest sprang from a keen interest in art and having an analytical brain. “I figured architecture was a great way to put them together, but my high school didn’t have the resources or the programmes to support jumping into architecture at the time”. 

After leaving school, she moved to Australia and ‘life happened’.  She pursued a career in banking and finance for 8 years alongside having her family, before deciding it was time to finally follow her dream of becoming an architect.

“The KEECT were also part of my beginning architectural studies journey. In my first year, I applied to them for a scholarship to start my studies and was awarded a $2000 Tressa Thomas Retraining award, which assists mature women to retrain in a profession.”

“One of the big things for me was that I was born and raised Samoan. I grew up with a solo mother who returned to study as a mature student. My mother modelled age should never be an obstacle to further education. I also grew up surrounded by my nana and grandpa, who were fluent in Samoan and ensured that my Samoan identity was strong. Unfortunately, I didn’t have an established relationship with my father, who is Māori.  Then I had this reconnection with my whakapapa on his side that sprang from an internship with Matakohe Architecture and Urbanism in Whangārei during the second year of my Bachelor’s Degree”

Keisha’s Master’s project represents an extremely significant journey of connection on both a professional and personal level.

“Through the internship journey, I visited my marae and participated in their Waimā Waita Waiora wānanga, staying two nights. That was about caring for our wai and protecting the life of tuna (eel), which has a significant role in our hapū narratives. Through that, I connected with my extended whānau on my father’s side and that’s where my journey started. ” 

Through discussion with whānau, one of the aspirations that initiated the research project was to breathe life back into Ngā Tau e Toru, the original wharenui of Tau Henare marae built in 1893, before the larger Tau Henare whare tupuna was built in the mid-19th century.

For a long time, it housed the Kōhanga Reo, with koro and kuia sharing knowledge with mokopuna with te reo, but over the years natural wear and tear meant it became unsafe for whānau use. Eventually, it was disestablished as a functioning whare on the marae and now sits vacant and unutilised.
“As a research project, it is quite special because through the process of whakawhanaungatanga and as the researcher, because of my whakapapa connection, I share a strong relationship with the people and the place and further expresses the Kaupapa Māori lens the research project is adopting. For Māori, whakapapa, history, and cultural narratives are passed down and Ngā Tau e Toru is part of the marae history, a precious taonga. It is about the narrative”

Keisha hopes that her project will provide the vision and scope for the original wharenui to be brought back to life, bringing the history of Nga Tau e Toru forward rather than sitting unutilised.
“Tau Henare marae whānau will receive the final report as a koha – as a thank you for their time and contribution. The hope is that they can use it as a design advocacy report to support the marae’s current and future aspirations. It will include a visual representation of Ngā Tau e Toru’s regeneration where hapū were in the driver’s seat, leading the visioning, aspirations, and design development.”

The Kate Edger Trust looks forward to following and supporting Keisha on her Master’s journey.

When Lina applied to receive this award, it was her compassion and determination that made her a stand-out candidate.  Lina is a busy mother to 4 young children (including twins) and is being supported by her husband to complete her degree, which means long hours of work for her husband and many sacrifices for the family along the way.  One of the biggest financial impacts of receiving the award was being able to afford to buy a laptop for her studies – for almost 2 years, she had completed (and passed) all her assignments on her phone.

Less than 10 percent of midwives identify as Māori and less than 3 percent as Pasifika. However, figures from the New Zealand College of Midwives showed 25 percent of Aotearoa’s birthing population in 2018 identified as Māori, and 10 percent as Pasifika.   Lina believes that there are “undeniable and unfortunate” socioeconomic and cultural barriers that exist in these communities which is why it is important that awards such as this exist to support more women to overcome these barriers.

Lina always knew she wanted to do something with her life that “uplifted women” and her own experience of pregnancy and motherhood at the age of 17 is when the seed of midwifery was planted. But not because of the wonderful experience she had, quite the opposite. Lina felt “categorized and judged” as a teen mum during her pregnancy and what should have been a special, wondrous time was shadowed by shame and guilt.
In her own words, Lina vowed that “I would try to the best of my capabilities to become a midwife, no matter how long it took, because I did not want another woman to feel just like I had felt. Women need support and encouragement in the scary, yet magical time that is pregnancy, not judgement……this is was something I would carry with me all the way through my goal of trying to obtain my degree, something that would drive my determination.”

However, things don’t always go to plan and Lina has had to overcome obstacles along the way, including failing a paper that set her back and altered the pathway of her degree. She describes being in a dark place and “wandering along on a lonely pathway” as her cohort graduated without her. But with the support of her AUT lecturers and due to her excellent grades, she was able to fast track on a special reoccurrence pathway and ended up only a few months behind so will complete her degree at the end of this year.  Being the recipient of The KEECT Maori/Pacifika Midwifery Award was also a driving force behind her determination to get back on track as she knew others were invested in her success.

Lina plans to work predominantly in Pacific Island communities solely due to the fact that “we as Pacific Islanders are the most vulnerable for many complications in pregnancy, labour and birth, as well as the post-partum stages. I feel that I am able to educate, connect and form a better partnership with Pacifika women as I am able to relate to their way of thinking both culturally and professionally”.

Lina is profoundly grateful for the support afforded to her from receiving the award and tells “not only did it allow me financial relief in a time I really needed it (such as petrol and parking money when on placements), but it also allowed me more time to refocus on the degree…. thank you for believing in me, supporting me and entrusting me with such an amazing honour”.

We wish her all the best in her midwifery career – she is already a fantastic role model for her family and community, and has proven that hard work, determination and perseverance will triumph over adversity.