Nia, who graduated this week with a Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Psychology, was inspired to pursue her course of study after watching a family member struggle with mental health. She was also motivated by her own personal journey with mental health challenges, which began when she was in school.
“I was struggling a lot with self-esteem, self-image, and anxiety. I didn’t have the mechanisms to understand what was going on and why I felt the way I did.
“I was struggling with insomnia quite badly. There was a lot of anxiety about academic achievement and whether I could do it.”
Nia says receiving the Ngā Hoe a Kupe Pathfinder Scholarship, which supports rangatahi who come from under-resourced backgrounds throughout their undergraduate degree, changed everything.
Nia doubts she would have been able to complete her undergraduate degree without the financial support the Kupe scholarship offers. But the holistic wrap-around support included in the scholarship, and the community she found amongst other Kupe recipients, was also transformative.
“It was so helpful to have that cohort of Kupe recipients going on this journey with me. If I was struggling, or didn’t know what I was doing, I knew I could reach out to other people who were going through the same thing.
“I also found it really helpful having friends at uni who believed in me whenever I couldn’t believe in myself.”
She says she found the support of the University’s community of Kupe donors hugely motivating.
“I was so unbelievably grateful when I got the call that I was chosen for the scholarship, and it was definitely a self-esteem booster, because it made me realise that I can do it.
“Knowing people were invested in my future made me more motivated, because I didn’t want to let them down. They’ve clearly seen something in me, so I want to make sure that’s not wasted.”
Nia’s Kupe scholarship was generously supported by the Hoku Foundation, a private philanthropic foundation that supports a range of organisations across Aotearoa New Zealand.
The Hoku Foundation also supported Fatima Alsaeed, who graduated this week with a Bachelor of Health in Health Promotion. Fatima says she is truly grateful for the opportunity to become the first person in her family to attend university.
“Coming from a refugee background, pursuing higher education has been especially meaningful to me. I hope to complete a Graduate Diploma in Teaching and become a primary school teacher who supports rangatahi, especially those facing barriers, while making a positive difference in the community.”
Hoku’s Foundation Manager Clemmie Baker says: "Hoku is very proud of the hard work and dedication shown by Nia and Fatima to achieve their goal of graduating. We look forward to seeing the positive impact we know that they will have."
Nia is now studying towards a Master of Science in Forensic Psychology, and says she never would have been able to continue to this level without the scholarship.
“The Kupe scholarship saved my life, essentially. I’m so grateful, because now I get to do something that I’m very passionate about, and I’m excited to wake up every day and be in the field that I’m enjoying.
“It’s a reciprocal thing too, because I’m now hoping I can help other people and do some good with it. I want to use my degree to make a change. It’s something that’s bigger than just me.”
Learn more about the Ngā Hoe a Kupe Pathfinder scholarship programme and how you can support students like Nia and Fatima as they pursue their academic dreams.