What鈥檚 the UC student experience like?
There are a lot of events, and I鈥檓 always encouraged to get involved. Some of us in the class are older, or have kids and families, but everyone always welcomes us with open arms. I鈥檝e joined up with the Te Akatoki M膩ori student association and go to a lot of their social gatherings, as well as some kapa haka.
Speaking of kapa haka, that鈥檚 been a pretty big part of your life!
I鈥檝e done kapa haka my whole life. I鈥檝e always loved it. My parents were a part of groups while I was growing up, and I was always in groups, both in and outside of school, and different travel groups. It's a big part of the wider Christchurch community.
There are heaps of different M膩ori communities in 艑tautahi 鈥 you鈥檝e got things like your te reo, your w膩nanga communities. We鈥檙e all connected through lots of different ones, but kapa haka is the one that binds the most of us together.
And what is the M膩ori community like at UC?
The personal connections I have with UC M膩ori mean a lot. We鈥檝e all developed great relationships. I know these people are trustworthy and feel like I can always go to them. It鈥檚 like a big聽wh膩nau, and I鈥檝e got aunties and cousins and friends I鈥檝e grown up with that all work at UC now. My brother even works at UC M膩ori. It all builds a bigger community within UC.
Do you see examples of UC鈥檚 values being lived out on campus?
100%. I see real examples of them all the time. The constant support from UC M膩ori is the epitome of manaakitanga. Within my class, we鈥檙e all very much a wh膩nau. We鈥檝e built a connection, going from strangers to family, which is a credit to our teachers for creating that environment of safety and belonging 鈥 that鈥檚 whanaugatanga. And tiakitanga reminds me of the whole UC experience 鈥 everyone doing what they can.
