Category: graduate

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Celebrations as EIT | Te Pūkenga Hawke’s Bay students graduate | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

3 mins ago

Students (ākonga) from EIT | Te Pūkenga Hawke’s Bay graduated at two ceremonies held at Toitoi – Hawke’s Bay Arts & Events Centre in Hastings on Friday (18 August).

There were celebrations as EIT | Te Pūkenga Hawke’s Bay students (ākonga), who faced COVID-19 disruptions, graduated on Friday.

Two hundred and forty graduates received their qualifications at two graduation ceremonies held at Toitoi – Hawke’s Bay Arts & Events Centre in Hastings on Friday (18 August).

In the first ceremony, held in the morning, 157 graduates from the Centre for Veterinary Nursing, IDEAschool, Te Uranga Waka, Schools of Education and Social Sciences, Primary Industries, Tourism and Hospitality, Trades and Technology, and Viticulture and Wine Science all graduated.

The afternoon saw 83 graduates from the Schools of Business, Computing, Health and Sport Science, and Nursing cross the stage.

Attending both ceremonies were Te Pūkenga Pourangi Hua Tiriti | Deputy Chief Executive Tiriti Outcomes Paora Ammunson; as well as Tumu Whenua a-Rohe 2 | Executive Directors Region 2, Kieran Hewitson and Huia Haeata. Napier City Councillor Keith Price, representing the city’s Mayor Kirsten Wise attended both ceremonies, while Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst and Hinewai Ormsby, the Chair of the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, attended the morning ceremony. Delegates from Chinese partnership university, Zhejiang Yuexiu University of Foreign Languages (ZYU), were also guests at the ceremonies.

Glen Harkness, EIT | Te Pūkenga Executive Director, congratulated all those who graduated..

“We know that COVID-19 brought multiple challenges over the years that these ākonga were at EIT | Te Pūkenga, but they can take pride in how they overcame that to achieve their diplomas, degrees and post graduate qualifications. Thanks to the kaimahi involved for all their hard work as well.”

“Once again EIT | Te Pūkenga is seeing a talented cohort graduating, which is a testament to the high quality programmes that we offer across the board. We have no doubt that these graduates will go on to make a mark in their chosen careers.”

Graduation ceremonies for the Tairāwhiti and Auckland campuses of EIT | Te Pūkenga were held earlier this year.

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Student’s wife enrolled him in EIT Te Pūkenga and now he is graduating with diploma | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

14 hours ago

CJ Pineaha-Burns (Ngāti Kahungunu) is graduating from EIT | Te Pūkenga with a Diploma in Te Reo Māori.

CJ Pineaha-Burns (Ngāti Kahungunu) delayed completing the final half of his Diploma in Te Reo Māori, so his wife enrolled him – now he is graduating from EIT | Te Pūkenga tomorrow (Friday 18 August).

CJ says he began his te reo journey as far back as 2013, completing the NZ Certificate in Te Reo me Ngā Tikanga [Level 4] and half of the Diploma in Te Reo Māori (Immersion) [Level 5]  before he and his wife moved to Australia. When they returned in 2019, his wife Savannah decided to study for her Bachelor in Māori Studies at EIT | Te Pūkenga.

The 28-year-old says it was important that he continued his studies.

“Te reo Māori was becoming so much more prominent in our house. All of our four kids go to Te Ara Hou, which is a full immersion Māori school. And so they were learning te reo Māori, my wife was in level six of her te reo Māori journey, and I was the only one in the house not on that journey.”

“And so, I got a phone call from EIT saying, ‘It looks like you want to enrol back into the diploma’. I didn’t know anything about it. It was actually my wife and my twin brother that rung them and told them that I wanted to be a part of it. And that’s how I got back in there. So I didn’t want to, I was pushed, and definitely grateful for that now.”

Te ao Māori (the Māori world) was a big reason for moving back home from Australia.

“It was a big part of what was missing when we were in Australia.”

His wife and twin brother Ethan will watch him graduate on Friday, and then next graduation, it will be their turn to walk the stage as they are due to both complete their Bachelor in Māori Studies at EIT | Te Pūkenga.

CJ says Te Ūranga Waka (Māori Studies) at EIT | Te Pūkenga has been so accommodating and supportive to him during his studies.

“Because I’ve got kids, they’ve helped me through that. And I ended up actually quitting my job recently so that I could go back to full-time study, because I did my diploma during night classes once a week. But when you’re learning te reo Māori, and you’re only doing it at night-times, it’s not enough. And because my kids were already in a Māori school, I needed to progress twice as fast, and I needed it daily. So now I’m full-time, and the whole dynamic of it has changed. It feels like I’m immersed in it all day now, which is perfect for my progression.”

“We’re all on the same page, and I can help them on their learning journey, and they can help me. We feed off each other now.”

While he may be graduating on Friday, his studying will still continue as he is enrolled in the Bachelor of Māori Studies.

While he has had other jobs in the past, including as a chef, CJ says he has finally found something he is comfortable in, and enjoying.

“It’s been an awesome journey. When they say ‘find something you enjoy doing’, I’m finally in that space. So I’ve just been offered a job as Kaiawhina (assistant) just going into level two classes and helping the tutors there. And that just helps me with my te reo Māori journey too, because I’m helping teach it.”

He joins his wife, brother and sister Desma Culshaw-Kaisa, who are all tutors at EIT | Te Pūkenga.

Pareputiputi Nuku, Pouarataki, Te Uranga Waka, says: “The Kahungunu whakataukī ‘Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini’ describes how achievements are not due to the efforts of one but of many as in the case of CJ and his talented whānau.”

“It isn’t uncommon to have students from the same whānau studying with us but so many and all at the same time, is quite rare. It is also very powerful. CJ is a great role model for his tamariki and our students.”

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Valedictorian says studying Māori Visual Arts at EIT Te Pūkenga has been a beautiful journey | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

4 hours ago

Bridy Rihari-Lundon (Ngāpuhi, Waikato Tainui is this year’s Valedictorian for the Tairāwhiti Campus of EIT Te Pūkenga.

Bridy Rihari-Lundon (Ngāpuhi, Waikato Tainui), who is this year’s Valedictorian for the Tairāwhiti Campus of EIT|Te Pūkenga, says that studying Māori Visual Arts at has been a beautiful journey.

Bridy, who is currently doing her Masters of Māori Visual Arts at Toihoukura, , is graduating today (Friday 4 August) with her Bachelor of Māori Visual Arts degree. The Tairāwhiti Graduation Ceremony will be held at the War Memorial Theatre.

Bridy says that at first she did not realise the significance of being named as Valedictorian, but she now is pleased that she is.

“So now that I understand, I am actually quite honoured to stand to speak and to represent not only just EIT and Toihoukura, but my friends and the whole campus.”

Brady says she has recently completed her Bachelor of Māori Visual Arts and is now on her Masters. She is doing this long distance from Waikato, where she is working fulltime at the kura Tōku Māpihi Maurea.

She has loved her time at EIT|Te Pūkenga and has grown as an artist.

“I’d say it’s been the most beautiful journey and probably one of the best decisions I’ve made, and I’m so glad that I went there. I wasn’t sure that was the right place for me, but after a year I knew that I was meant to be there, so it really helped me a lot.

This year’s EIT Te Pūkenga Tairāwhiti
Valedictorian Bridy Rihari-Lundon with some of her work.

“One thing that taught me about myself, I think despite the long distance, living away from home, I had to find the beauty in this town, in Gisborne, and one was connecting to the land and sea, and second was allowing myself to open up and feel the warmth of the people.”

“I’m a painter, so I mostly just paint. I do draw sometimes, but this year I’m trying to actually interpret and incorporate a couple of other elements. I’m trying to spread out and dive into other mediums and become a quite diverse, multi-medium artist.”

“I’m looking at going into a bit of bone and stone carving in the future and doing ta moko.”

Last year Bridy received the Ruanuku Award, which is awarded each year to the top all round student at Toihoukura. The Ruanuku is a final year undergraduate art student who performs at a high level across a range of requirements. As part of award, two pieces of Bridy’s work have been selected by the Tairāwhiti Museum and purchased, through the support of Professor Jack Richards, for the Tairāwhiti Museum permanent Māori arts collection.

Bridy is enjoying her life as a teacher. The aim is to eventually study for her teaching degree.

“I suppose because my purpose for now and probably for my future is to give back, and that’s what I’m trying to do. So it really makes me happy knowing that I can share my skills and my knowledge and pass it down so it carries on the art form and the teachings.”

For now Bridy is preparing for the Graduation Ceremony which will be held on Friday (5 August) at the War Memorial Theatre in Gisborne.

“I’m acknowledging the people, the campus, EIT, and Toihoukura, the staff and managers, administrators, all of that. And then I’m doing a little bit of reflection on my three years at Toihoukura, what it was like for me. I will highlight a lot of the opportunities that were offered to us and a few words of wisdom and congratulating my friends, of course, my peers.”

Tracey Tangihaere, the Executive Director of the Tairāwhiti Campus of EIT|Te Pūkenga and Acting Head of Toihoukura, says: “Bridy is a great role model for young Māori Wahine, she exemplifies the value of Matauranga Māori and Toi Māori.”

“Toihoukura tutors are very proud of all their graduates today and comment that  Bridy has been a great ambassador across the country and in Canada creative sectors, I am sure she will be successful in her chosen career. We expect to her as a rising star in the Toi Māori skyline.” 

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Graduation a dream come true for Bachelor of Teaching student | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

2 mins ago

Sara Hallgarth is graduating with a Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) from the Tairāwhiti Campus of EIT | Te Pūkenga.

For many years a lack of confidence stopped Sara Hallgarth from following her dream to be a teacher, but tomorrow (Friday, 4 August) she will graduate with a Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) from the Tairāwhiti Campus of EIT | Te Pūkenga.

Born and bred in Gisborne, Sara, 39, is a mother of two young girls who has studied a range of subjects from driving training to te reo in the past. But it was always teaching where her heart lay.

“I’ve always wanted to do it, but never really had the confidence. So yeah, as soon as the kids got older and things were getting easier for us, I knew that it was time.”

“It was tough juggling because my husband, William, and I own a business, Peak Construction Gisborne, so it was hard to juggle life and things, but I feel like the lecturers there were so supportive, and they only ever wanted us to succeed. So having their support all the time was great.”

The highlight of the degree for Sara was the practical component which sees students spend two days per week getting practical training at local schools.

“It was fantastic. I was with experienced teachers throughout my training, so every teacher that I had as a mentor teacher had 20 plus years of experience so I was really lucky..”

The three years of study have not been without its challenges with Sara referring to her and her classmates as “the COVID graduates”.

Sara, who finished her degree in November last year, is now teaching at Mangapapa School in Gisborne, where she did her last practicum and where she also went to school as a young girl.

“I have come full circle and my girls also attended Mangapapa. I have great connections here. My nieces and nephews and family have gone through the school, so I just felt really connected. ”

She says that the degree at EIT | Te Pūkenga prepared her for the rigours of being a teacher of young primary school students.

“I think EIT really prepared us for that shock of reality, because the paperwork side does correlate to what we’re doing now. We have our expectations and EIT had their expectations and they are similar to being a teacher, even though we moaned about it a lot, that we had so much to do. But that’s the reality of being a teacher.”

Sara says she is keen to study further but is now focused on getting her registration as a teacher.

Before that she has the not so small matter of graduation, an event her family, including her daughters, Emily, 13 and Rosie, 11, will be attending.

Emma McFadyen, a lecturer in Primary Education at EIT | Te Pūkenga Tairāwhiti, says: “Sara is one teacher from a cohort of twelve who will be graduating this year. It will be a moment of sheer joy for the teaching team and partnership schools as we watch this cohort cross the stage at graduation. Each individual has their own story, involving highs and lows, to get to this point in their journey, and they should be incredibly proud of their achievements.”