NIU Health Building.

17 Pasifika PRIDE

this issue

Destination SUCCESS 2

Falarazzi 3

Pacific Pathways 4

Scholarship Success 5

A Gift for Life 6

Building CAREERS 7

A chat with DON 8

PACIFIC

STUDENTS

NEWSLETTER

New & returning health students at the

Porirua Campus, started the academic

year in a new purpose built health

building. The “state of the art” building

houses impressive features including

laboratories, world-class simulation

suites and centrally located learning

streets for self directed study. An official

ceremony was held on 20 March with

the Minister of Health Tony Ryall opening

the new building. The striking building,

named after celebrated war time nurse

Wikitoria Katene, gathers all Faculty of

Health programmes under the same roof,

with staff in open work spaces.

New students are particularly chuffed at

being able to start their training in the

new building.

Pasifika

Academic

Student

Success (PASS)

Fakaalofa lahi atu

Warm Whitireia greetings &

welcome to our winter issue of

Pasifika PRIDE; our Pacific

students newsletter. In it you

will find a collection of stories

that showcase Pacific related

happenings this year. As we

celebrate Matariki (the Maori

New Year) I wish you the best

in your studies and encourage

you to access the student

services available to support

your academic journey. New

beginnings to those of you who

are moving on. God Bless!

Kia Monuina

Leisha Williams

ISSUE

WINTER

2013

Bachelor of Applied Arts students at the

official opening

Health students in the new simulation suite

2

A new pre-orientation was offered to

new Pacific students at the beginning of

2013 to start the academic year.

Destination Success began a week

before the official start date to help

students orient themselves to tertiary

study. Interactive workshops were held

for students from the different faculties

to help them learn about life at

Whitireia and connect with other Pacific

students & key Pacific staff.

The aim was to help students to

develop the skills required to succeed

in tertiary study. The programme is the

brainchild of the Pacific Community

Liaison team and Pasifika Academic

Student Success Advisor who

facilitated the workshops with other key

staff. Students threw themselves into

the interactive workshops that required

them to identify their goals for their year

and strategies to achieve them.

CE Don Campbell attended to

introduce himself and meet the

newbees. He provided great inspiration

from his own journey and participants

appreciated his advice and guidance.

At the end of the workshops, students

were challenged to attend follow up

PolyPrep lunchtime workshops to meet

other Student Success services & help

them transition into study at Whitireia.

On the completion of these workshops

students received a free PolyPrep

t-shirt. These were presented at a BBQ

and celebration for all participants and

their families. Students revealed that

the programme helped them feel part of

Whitireia and build important

relationships with students and staff.

Destination

SUCCESS

Pacific Community

Liaison

Team

The Pacific Community Liaison

team is responsible for engaging

with & developing strong links

with our Pacific communities.

Veronica Vaovasa– Co-ordinator

Helen Kisona– Tokelau Advisor

Tuaine Robati– Cook Islands

Tevita Finau– Tonga

Tupe Lualua– Samoa

The team also liaises with the Fiji,

Niue and Tuvalu communities &

other Pacific people.

Your Passport to

EXCELLENCE–

an orientation programme for

Pacific students to support

their transition to tertiary

study.

Destination Success- Faculty of Arts & Faculty of Business/ IT Fiercely proud Pacific Trades students show their pacific loyalty

CE Don Campbell & Faculty of Health students

3

FALARAZZI

Island lei, Polynesian dress & beautiful

people sparkled at the Falarazzi event; a

celebration for our Pacific graduates.

Held the night before the official March

graduation, the much awaited event gives

Pacific students, their family and the wider

community the opportunity to celebrate in

a Pacific way.

EYE ON IT

Current Industry AKO AKE

Study Space

Ako Ake is a study space for

Pacific & Maori students.

The room is located behind the

Wikitoria Katene block, off

Entrance 4 at Porirua Campus.

Students can access the room

until 11pm during the week,

while weekend hours are until

6pm by swipe card.

The offices of the Pacific &

Maori Academic Success

Advisors are next door.

The study space allows students

to engage in study in a family

friendly environment.

Students are asked to respect

the study space and always

clean up after use.

Pacific Students

Graduation Celebration

Performing Arts graduates

Social Work Success Early Childhood Education teachers

Post-graduate Professionals

Faculty of Business and IT students with

Programme Manager Christopher Stachowski Artistic Achievers

Feterika Sao &Aiga Maiava

Whitireia’s new Pacific nurses

4

PACIFIC PATHWAYS March Graduation

Flower power Limasene Maila & Pepe Fereti

Bachelor of Applied Arts (Performing Arts) Aiga Maiava is congratulated by her sister Talamai

Bachelor of Nursing Pacific lovelies

Rachel Telea (NZ Diploma in Business) & friends

5

A number of Pacific students have

been successful in achieving

scholarships this year to support their

study costs. A presentation ceremony

was held for students who received the

Whitireia Foundation Scholarships.

Fifty students were awarded the

scholarships, ranging from $500 to

$3000. The Whitireia Foundation offers

scholarships to new and existing

students, based on merit and

perseverance to succeed in spite of

personal circumstances. Applications

are available in October each year.

A second ceremony was held for those

who achieved the Whitireia Secondary

School Leaver fees Scholarships.

Students pathwaying straight from

secondary school are supported in their

first year of study at Whitireia. Pacific

recipient Ariel Baker from Aotea College

is in her first year of the Bachelor of

Teaching (Early Childhood Education)

and shared that “My experience so far

has been amazing, the support for Maori

& Pacific students is fantastic”.

We encourage you all to investigate

scholarship opportunities that exist to

help you meet the costs of tertiary study.

WHITIREIA FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS

The Whitireia Foundation offers

a number of scholarships for

students to study at Whitireia.

The scholarships provide

financial assistance for tuition

fees (unless otherwise

specified). Applicants must

demonstrate a genuine desire

to succeed in their studies,

financial circumstances and

personal achievement.

Whitireia Secondary School Leaver Fees SCHOLARSHIPS

Whitireia offers scholarships to

selected secondary schools in

Northern Wellington, Porirua &

Kāpiti Coast areas. Each

scholarship is valued up to

$4,000 & assists with tuition

costs for the first year of study,

in a multi-year diploma or

degree programme

SCHOLARSHIP SUCCESS

Whitireia Foundation Scholarship Pacific recipients

Ariel Baker with Leisha Williams & Leautuli’ilagi Sauvao Sheppard Family Scholarship recipients with their sponsors

Lana & Tim Sheppard

6

Professional Development

A GIFT FOR LIFE

SHAVE FOR A CURE

Shave for a Cure is the Leukaemia

& Blood Cancer New Zealand’s

(LBC’s) signature fundraising

event. 6 Kiwis are diagnosed

every day with a blood cancer or

related blood condition.

Each year hundreds of Kiwis

become Shavees to raise money

for patients and their families

living with Blood Cancer or a

similar condition. This year 2819

people joined up to Shave for a

Cure, branding clippers and

scissors to chop off their tresses

for this worthwhile cause.

Dancing DUO

Samoa Performing Arts students Andy Tilo

and Callum Sefo have returned from a 9- centre

tour of North American with contemporary

dance troupe Black Grace. In their third year of

the Bachelor of Applied Arts (Performing Arts),

the pair undertook internships in December,

under the direction of renowned Samoa

choreographer Neil Ieremia and were then

selected to tour with the dance troupe to the

USA. After their return to New Zealand they

performed to sell out crowds in Wanaka,

Queenstown and Invercargill. The experience

with Black Grace has strengthened the pairs

passion for contemporary dance. The pair will

next travel to France in July with Whitireia

Performing arts. Au revoir!

facebook.com/ Whitireia Pacific Success

Rapunzel Rapunzel

Shave off your hair!

took the big step, cutting off her long

ponytail, to the cheers of the supportive

crowd. As their heads were shaved MC

Tama Kirikiri encouraged onlookers to

donate. An impressive $1321 was raised.

Combined with other pledges, this far

surpassed Uputaua’s $1000.00 target.

This placed her well on the individuals

leaderboard. Uputaua was overwhelmed

by the support she received from students

and is grateful to Whitireia students and

staff who supported her cause.

After many years of long hair,

Uputaua Matagi made the ultimate

sacrifice, shaving her hair as part of this

years Shave for a Cure campaign.

Uputaua felt it fitting to hold the

Sha-vent at Whitireia, where she is in

the last year of her nursing studies.

Joined by her partner John, Uputaua

shaved off her hair in front of an

enthusiastic lunch time crowd. With the

help of her close Bachelor of Nursing

friends and Hairdressing staff Upu

Uputaua Matagi with partner John and her support team

Black Grace performers Andy Tilo & Callum Sefo

7

The Pasifika Trades training is a government

led scholarship initiative delivered in

collaboration between Whitireia, WelTec and

Pacific Church ministers. For the second year

the scheme offered scholarship places on the

Certificate in Carpentry, Certificate in Plumbing,

Drainlaying, Gasfitting & Roofing, Certificate in

Civil Construction Introductory Skills and

Certificate in Electrical Engineering

programmes. Students are identified and

nominated by their Church Ministers or

Community leaders, then together with the

tertiary provider they select recipients.

In January, Pasifika Trades Training graduates

Tufou Aitogi & Pat Palepua responded to an

opportunity to work in Samoa. They joined

WelTec tutor Ken Hodge and three WelTec

graduates working with the Samoa Water

Authority post Cyclone Evan. The pair put their

new skills towards a much needed cause.

A celebration, hosted by the Samoa Ministers

Fraternal, was held to celebrate the graduation

of the 2012 Pasifika Trades training students

and welcome the new 2013 recipients.

The community congratulated the graduates

and wished them the best as they start their

trades careers. This year 40 Pacific students

received the Pasifika Trades Training

scholarship at Whitireia.

Pasifika Trades Training

Scholarships is a government- led

training initiative that grants

scholarships to members of the

Pacific community.

Building CAREERS

The Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team & Pasifika Trades

Graduates of the Pasifika Trades Training initiative with Whitireia Deputy CE

Lawrence Arps & Rev Patrick Fenika

Whitireia Trades Pasifika Trades Scholarships graduates Pat Palepua &

Tufou Aitogi before they left for Samoa

8

A chat with DON

Whitireia LIFE

Warm greetings to all Pacific students.

I trust that despite the cold snap you

are all enjoying your time at Whitireia

and that you are achieving success in

your chosen programme of study.

2013 has proven to be a productive

year for Whitireia with many successes

for students and staff. I am pleased to

share that our education performance

(EPIs) for 2012, Whitireia ranked 3rd in

New Zealand for course completion

and qualification completion for all

polytechnics – a great result.

Whitireia is recognised as a leading

provider of tertiary education for

culturally diverse communities. This is

reflected in the growth and achievements

of students from Māori, Pacific and

international origin. The Pacific Strategy

envisions that Pacific students enrolled in

Whitireia programmes will achieve their

educational goals as successfully as, or

better than any other group studying at

Whitireia. I look forward to the rest of

2013 as we continue to lead and

illuminate our communities through

tertiary education.

Harlem Shake Whitireia Stylez PolyPrep BBQ & Celebration

Destination Success- Faculty of Service Industries Feterika Sao & fellow graduate

Don Campbell

Chief Executive