Hear from ākonga Māori and Pasifika students and find out what it takes to achieve Scholarship at the highest level
Thinking about sitting Scholarship this year?
Wondering if you’ve got what it takes?
These video interviews share the journeys of our 2024 Māori and Pasifika Top Subject Scholars - how they navigated challenges, drew strength from their whānau and kaiako, and achieved success in Te Hiranga | Scholarship.
Each story is a reminder that with support, belief in yourself, and a willingness to give it a go, you too can succeed in Te Hiranga | Scholarship.
Watch the videos to see how they did it – and how you can too.
[Screen shows intro slide with Top Scholar name and award. Music playing in the background]
[Luca Ririnui speaks to the camera]
Luca: Kia ora. Ko Mauao te maunga. Ko Tauranga te moana. Ko Mataatua te waka. Ko Ngāi Te Rangi te iwi. Ko Ngāti He te hapū. Ko Opopoti te marae. Nō Tauranga Moana ahau. Ko Luca Ririnui tōku ingoa. Nō reira tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā rā tātou katoa.
[Screen shows a montage of students and guests seated in the Banquet Hall at Parliament for the Top Scholar ceremony. Music playing in the background]
[Luca Ririnui speaks to the camera]
Luca: I’m really proud to represent my school here. It’s not a school that is recognised as much as I think it deserves to be. Like it’s a really great place ad I hope that the kids back home can believe in themselves, and anyone can get to a point where they are here and doing well.
[Screen shows Luca crossing the stage to receive his Top Scholar award]
[Luca Ririnui speaks to the camera]
Luca: Probably a bit of luck involved. I had a lot of support. I had a really great school who gave me a lot of freedom and a lot of time and lots of amazing teachers that I could go to for help. I think just having a positive mindset throughout, not trying to base my self-worth on the results at the end or on how I felt like I was performing.
[Screen shows Luca with his Top Scholar peers]
[Luca Ririnui speaks to the camera]
Luca: I’d say definitely give it a go. I think it’s not about the mark, it’s not about what you get at the end of it. It’s normally quite fun if it’s a subject that you care about and that you’re passionate about. It’s crazy, I never really expected to get this far but obviously a huge achievement and I’m pretty proud of that.
[Screen shows outro slide with NZQA logo. Music playing in the background]
Luca never expected to become a Premier Scholar, but with strong support from his kura, great teachers, and a mindset focused on learning rather than results, he got there. He hopes his story shows others that success is possible no matter where you’re from.
"I hope that the kids back home can believe in themselves, anyone can get to a point where they are here and doing well."
[Screen shows intro slide with Top Scholar name and award. Music playing in the background]
[Temaea Teaeki speaks to the camera]
Temaea: Kia ora. Ko Temaea Teaeki tōku ingoa, me taku taha mareikura he uri tēnei nō Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou me Te Āti Awa ā i taku taha whatukura he mangainga tēnei nō ngā moutere o te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa motuhake nei nō te moutere o Kiribis.
[Screen shows students and guests being seated in the Banquet Hall at Parliament for the Top Scholar ceremony. Music playing in the background]
[Temaea Teaeki speaks to the camera]
Temaea: I tēnei tau, kei te Whare Wānanga o Waikato au e ako ana i tēnei wā e whai ana au i taku tohu pakihi, e whakamana ana i te Accounting.
[Screen shows shots of the audience and speaker during the welcoming]
Temaea: Me te mea hoki, he iti raukura tēnei nō Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Koutu.
[Temaea Teaeki speaks to the camera]
Temaea: Mōku ake tēnei kairangitanga o te Top Scholar ki au he momo mea tautoko he momo mea akiaki i ngā tauira e ako tonu ana i te kura. He mea tauawhi i a rātou i roto i a rātou mahi i roto mai i te kura engari he mea hei akiaki i a rātou kia tae ki tētehi taumata anō i roto i a rātou mahi i te kura.
[Screen shows shots of Temaea seated with other Top Scholar students]
Temaea: Mōku ake ko taku whānau me aku kaiako. I te kura kaupapa, he kaha anō ngā kaiako te tauawhi i a koe i roto i o tini mahi katoa mēnā rānei ko ngā mahi o roto mai o te kura o waho atu rānei. Koira pea aku tino tangata i roto i taku ao e kaha poipoi nei au i roto i aku mahi.
[Screen shows audience clapping]
[Temaea Teaeki speaks to the camera]
Temaea: I got the message and was like actually I don’t believe you let me check the website and then it had Temaea Teaeki and I was like “wholey, that happened”. I was overseas, we were at a takeaway place overseas and that’s when I found out.
[Screen shows ākonga from Te Kura Māori o Porirua performing waiata ngahau at ceremony]
[Temaea Teaeki speaks to the camera, screen shows Temaea crossing the stage to receive her award]
Temaea: The first person I told was actually my Mum. I had it on my phone, I was like “Mum, Mum, Mum look at this” she was just amazed, very supportive as well, and then alongside her was my kuia so that’s why they’re both here today.
[Screen shows one of Temaea’s whānau performing a karanga after she receives her award]
[Temaea Teaeki speaks to the camera]
Temaea: You know from kohanga reo all the way through to kura kaupapa I’ve had the support of my whānau and also my kaiako so I think getting to that level of scholarship I think it’s from the help of everyone since kohanga until my final years at kura kaupapa.
[Screen shows Temaea amongst her Top Scholar peers]
[Temaea Teaeki speaks to the camera]
Temaea: For me personally it’s kind of like a little give back to the generations within my whānau. From the tutukinga o tēnei whakamātautau, I was able to say to my kuia “e ora ana te reo i roto i tā mātou whānau”, that’s probably the main thing.
[Temaea Teaeki speaks to the camera]
Temaea: All the opportunities that are given to you just have a go at them, even if you are a bit unsure, you’ll never know until you try. I think it’s going back to that whakaaro that you have nothing to lose but everything to gain. So back at kura it was compulsory to do Level 1-to Level 3 but doing Scholarship gave me that reassurance that you’ve done that Taumata 1 - Taumata 3 and by achieving this it’s just a little extra addition.
[Screen shows outro slide with NZQA logo. Music playing in the background]
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Koutu
Temaea reflects on her lifelong journey from kōhanga reo to kura kaupapa, where the support of her whānau and kaiako nurtured her success in achieving Top Scholar for Te Reo Rangatira.
“From the tutukinga o tēnei whakamātautau, I was able to say to my kuia, e ora ana te reo Māori i roto i tā mātou whānau.”
[Screen shows intro slide with Top Scholar name and award. Music playing in the background]
[Mareikura Mahaki speaks to the camera]
Mareikura: Kia ora. Ko Mareikura Mahaki tōku ingoa. He uri nō Te Arawa, Ngāi Tūhoe, me Te Whānau a Apanui. Kei te Whare Wānanga o Waikato ahau.
[Screen shows Mareikura crossing the stage at Parliament to receive her Top Scholar award]
Mareikura: I was in my room just scrolling on Facebook and saw that the reults came out and I ran to my sister and showed her, and she told me that I got the Top Scholar.
[Mareikura Mahaki speaks to the camera, screen shows picture of Jaylene Tamati (Kaiako)]
Mareikura: My Te Ao Haka teacher she was really a big role model for me because she believed in me when sometimes I didn’t even believe in myself.
[Screen shows Mareikura standing on stage at the Top Scholar ceremony at Parliament while one of her whānau performs a karanga]
[Mareikura Mahaki speaks to the camera]
Mareikura: I was the one who’d say I don’t wanna do the scholarship because I don’t think I’m good enough or my writing isn’t good enough but with a lot of support it goes a long way.
[Screen shows Mareikura and her whānau being welcomed into the Te Matatini office for the Te Ao Haka Top Scholar ceremony]
[Mareikura Mahaki speaks to the camera]
Mareikura: Support from my whānau, from my teachers, from my friends. My friends were a big help for me.
[Screen shows shots of the kaikōrero during the pōhiri at Te Matatini]
Mareikura: I was going to give up at some point, it got to the day before the scholarship, and I still had a bit more to write, and my friends told me to keep going.
[Mareikura Mahaki speaks to the camera]
Mareikura: If you have enough people saying that they believe in you, it will come to you eventually that you believe in yourself.
[Screen shows Mareikura and her whānau taking photos at Te Matatini]
[Mareikura Mahaki speaks to the camera]
Mareikura: I didn't have the faith in me, but they did so it transferred from them to me and I’m very grateful for them.
[Screen shows Mareikura with her certificate, as well as the 2023 Te Ao Haka Top Scholar for Te Ao Haka, Awatea Rivers Hall]
[Mareikura Mahaki speaks to the camera]
Mareikura: I do feel a bit proud because not many people can say that they achieved the Top Scholar for Te Ao Haka.
[Screen shows outro slide with NZQA logo. Music playing in the background]
Mareikura didn’t think she was good enough to sit Scholarship - but her kaiako, whānau and friends reminded her she was. Now, she’s proud to be the 2024 Top Scholar for Te Ao Haka and hopes other ākonga will give it a go too.
“My Te Ao Haka teacher, Jaylene Tamati, was a big role model for me. If you have enough people saying they believe in you, eventually you start to believe it too.”
[Screen shows intro slide with Top Scholar name and award. Music playing in the background]
[Monica Lemalu speaks to the camera]
Monica: Greetings and talofa lava. My name is Monica Lemalu and I’m currently studying at the University of Auckland for a Bachelor of Commerce in my first year.
[Screen shows students and guests seated in the Banquet Hall at Parliament for the Top Scholar ceremony. Music playing in the background]
Monica: I hail from the villages of Matautu Lefaga and Vaovai Falealili
[Screen shows students and guests. Music playing in the background]
[Monica Lemalu speaks to the camera]
Monica: Top Scholar means to me as a high academic achievement and successful performance I have gained and received at my academic journey.
[Screen shows Monica crossing the stage to receive her Top Scholar award]
Monica: It is a collective award which is not just acknowledging my hard work and success, but it’s to acknowledge my family, my community, my parents and all the sacrifices that have supported my school journey.
[Monica Lemalu speaks to the camera]
Monica: My role model is my late Mama Melegalenu'u To’alepaiali’i Ah Sam which is my Samoan teacher.
[Screen shows photo tributes of her Samoan teacher]
Monica: She passed away last year. She was the one who encouraged me to do scholarship.
[Screen shows Monica standing on stage with her certificate next to the NZQA Board Chair, Kevin Jenkins]
Monica: She motivated me during my school years at Mangere College and hopefully she’s proud of what I’ve come this far.
[Monica Lemalu speaks to the camera]
Monica: If I can do it, why can’t you. Go give it a try. You never know until you try.
[Screen shows Monica with her Top Scholar peers]
[Monica Lemalu speaks to camera]
Monica: My top study tip will be don’t let others hold the pen for you. You have to take accountability and ownership for yourself.
[Screen shows Monica with her Top Scholar peers]
[Monica Lemalu speaks to camera]
Monica: There’s a Samoan saying “E le maua fua se mea" which means you have to put all your hard work and effort and it will really pay off as a reward.
[Screen shows outro slide with NZQA logo. Music playing in the background]
Hailing from the villages of Mata-Utu Lefaga, Siumu Safata, Matafa’a and Vaovai Falealili, Monica’s success is a tribute to her late teacher, her parents, and community. She encourages other students to take ownership of their learning journeys and to never underestimate the power of hard work.
“E le maua fua se mea – hard work and effort will be rewarded. If I can do it, why can’t you?”
[Screen shows intro slide with Top Scholar name and award. Music playing in the background]
[Albert Siasau speaks to the camera]
lbert: Hi. My name is Albert Siasau. I'm from Auckland. I studied at Liston College and now I study at AUT.
[Screen shows students and guests being seated in the Banquet Hall at Parliament for the Top Scholar ceremony. Music playing in the background]
Albert: I found out last year in November from my art teacher.
[Albert Siasau speaks to the camera]
Albert: I did the subject out of curiosity, and when I started doing it, I just got more invested. And my teacher, mister Muni, pushed me more to do scholarship.
[Screen shows Albert crossing the stage to receive his Top Scholar award]
Albert: If you’re thinking about doing scholarship, there's not much to lose. Just do it. It's fun, and you'll learn a lot from it.
[Albert Siasau speaks to the camera]
Albert: I was pretty dedicated. I took time after to school and in my own time at home to do my work.
[Screen shows Albert standing on stage with his certificate next to the NZQA Board Chair, Kevin Jenkins]
Albert: Probably don't rush things. Take your time. I was just surprised. I didn't think I'd take it that far because that was my first time doing art.
[Albert Siasau speaks to the camera]
Albert: Not much to lose when you start doing it. I mean, I got my brother doing it this year, so I'm trying to, I hope I inspired him because it was his first time doing sculpture too, so hopefully he makes it to the top.
[Screen shows outro slide with NZQA logo. Music playing in the background]
Albert took up sculpture out of curiosity, and with the support of his teacher ended up achieving Top Scholar in his first year doing art. Now, he hopes his journey shows others that you don’t need to be an expert to start, you just need to give it a go.
“I didn’t think I’d take it that far… that was my first time doing art.”
[Screen shows intro slide with Top Scholar name and award. Music playing in the background]
[Frances Damu speaks to the camera]
Frances: Bula. My name is Frances Damu. I come from Fiji. I hail from the village of Sagani in Vanua Levu and I am the Top Scholar for Dance.
[Screen shows students and guests being seated in the Banquet Hall at Parliament for the Top Scholar ceremony. Music playing in the background]
[Frances Damu speaks to the camera]
Frances: To be a top scholar, I was able to prove to myself that I am capable of achieving great things as I’ve never been the type to look for and apply for scholarships.
[Screen shows Frances crossing the stage to receive her Top Scholar award]
Frances: So, the fact that I was even able to complete a scholarship was already big enough for me. I would say the women in my family definitely inspired the scholarship, growing up and seeing how well they paved the way for me.
[Frances Damu speaks to the camera]
Frances: To someone who is thinking of doing scholarship, I’d say if it interests you or you just wanna give it a go then do it, there’s no harm in trying and you won’t really know the outcome of something if you don’t even give it a go. And I mean, I did it, I just wanted to give it a go and I’m here now so I’m super grateful for that.
[Screen shows Frances standing with Top Scholar peers]
Frances: Why do I think I was successful?
[Frances Damu speaks to the camera]
Frances: It was the peers and my teacher because they were the drive for me to push myself and be the best that I could be.
[Screen shows outro slide with NZQA logo. Music playing in the background]
Frances hadn’t planned to do Scholarship - but inspired by her peers, teachers and the strong women in her family that paved the way for her, she gave it a go and achieved more than she imagined.
“I was able to prove to myself that I am capable of achieving great things.”
[Screen shows intro slide with Top Scholar name and award. Music playing in the background]
[Aliki Wilson-Lousi speaks to the camera]
Aliki: Malo e lelei. My name is Aliki Wilson Loci. I go to Dilworth School, in Auckland, and I'm in year 13 this year.
[Screen shows students and guests being seated in the Banquet Hall at Parliament for the Top Scholar ceremony. Music playing in the background]
[Aliki Wilson-Lousi speaks to the camera. Screen shows guests seated at Top Scholar ceremony. Music playing in the background]
Aliki: What it means to be a top scholar is the exterior justification of your talent and the reassurance of your capacities in that selective subject.
[Aliki Wilson-Lousi speaks to the camera]
Aliki: The person who inspired me to do scholarship, is Roger Moses and he pulled me aside, and encouraged me to do, as many scholarships as I could, and I went forward and did it.
[Screen shows Aliki crossing the stage to receive his award from NZQA Board Chair, Kevin Jenkins]
[Aliki Wilson-Lousi speaks to the camera]
Aliki: The reason why I think I was successful is because I had a concept in my head of how hard it would be, and I aimed as high as possible.
[Screen shows Aliki standing on stage next to NZQA Board Chair, Kevin Jenkins]
[Aliki Wilson-Lousi speaks to the camera]
Aliki: So I prepared with excellence because I had a whole concept that this is the best in the country that I'm competing against, and I'm gonna try my absolute best.
[Screen shows Kevin Jenkins speaking, shots of audience, music playing in the background]
Aliki: To someone thinking of doing scholarship, just give it a go. You never know what will happen or how well you will perform on the day.
[Aliki Wilson-Lousi speaks to the camera]
Aliki: Even if you're not feeling, up to it leading up to the actual exam, if you're feeling underprepared, if you're feeling, oh, these are the best people in the country that are competing in the scholarship exam, I wouldn't think that. I would just go in and give it your best because you never know how you perform on the day.
[Screen shows outro slide with NZQA logo, music playing]
Aliki shares how believing in his potential and preparing with purpose helped him succeed at the highest level. He credits his teacher, Roger Moses, for inspiring him to sit Scholarship and reminds others that success is possible, even if you don’t feel ready.
“Even if you feel like you’re up against the best in the country, just go for it, you never know how well you’ll perform on the day.”
If you achieve or perform exceptionally well in a Scholarship exam, you could receive a monetary award to help with your tertiary studies.
If you receive the top mark in a scholarship exam, like the students in the videos above, you will receive the Top Scholar award for that subject and be invited to attend a ceremony at Parliament.
You can sit scholarship for subjects like Te Reo Māori, Te Reo Rangatira, Te Ao Haka and Samoan. But there are other subjects you can enter too.
If you enter more than one Scholarship subject, you could also win more than one Scholarship award. You could be in line for an Outstanding Scholar Award, a Premier Award, or even the Prime Minister’s Award for Academic Excellence.
There’s no reason you can’t give it a go, and every reason to back yourself. Why not aim high and see where you land?
Māori and Pasifika students are more than capable of achieving Scholarship success, as the interviews show you.
We want schools to encourage more ākonga Māori and Pasifika students to give Scholarship a go - not only in subjects like Te Reo Māori, Te Reo Rangatira, Te Ao Haka, or Samoan, but across all scholarship subjects. Then students have the chance to receive a wider range of awards.
Check out the insights papers below to find out how kura can support Māori and Pasifika students to achieve academic excellence in Scholarship.
Supporting Equity for Māori and Pacific students in New Zealand Scholarship