Being Māori, it's important to surround yourself with whānau
and having that kind of support here at Unitec is amazing.
Kia ora, ko Mereana tōku ingoa, ko Ngāti Maniapoto te iwi
and I study a Bachelor of Social Practice.
Kia ora, ko Damien tōku ingoa, ko Tuhoe te iwi
and I study Mechanical Engineering.
Kia ora, ko Peter tōku ingoa, ko Ngāti Te Rangi te iwi
I'm in my first year study of Bachelor of Creative Enterprise.
Taking part in Whai Ake, the Māori mentoring programme at Unitec,
has been a huge help for me in my studies.
It brings us all together and has given me a real sense of belonging.
I like to use traditional styles and non-traditional mediums.
It helps me keep in touch with my roots,
as being Māori.
Whai Ake is a support system that helps you a lot within your studies,
especially when you're coming straight from high school.
They help you express who you are, rather than changing what you like to do.
All lecturers help you out — they become your friends
and they become your family, really.
Because they're the ones that make you feel at home, when it comes to class work.
It just keeps me up — keeps me coming to Unitec.
The relationships that we've created here at Unitec are life-long bonds,
through Whai Ake and Mātātupu.
They're my family away from home.
Without them, I wouldn't be who I am today.
