After 12 years of living in London, Jess Paul (Ngāti Maniapoto) returned to Aotearoa and received a scholarship to help her begin her Bachelor of Māori Media Studies and Communication at AUT.
The scholarship was gifted by her tūpuna, who established the Māori Soldiers Trust after World War I. The Trust bought Hereheretau Station with the aim of setting aside profit from the farm to provide scholarships. Nearly 100 years later, their legacy lives on through the mokopuna they support.
“When I arrived back home and was looking for work I was surprised at New Zealand employers,” says Jess, “they were all looking for degrees! If you didn’t have a degree, they weren’t interested in employing you.”
Goal
Jess set a goal to gain a Bachelor of Māori Media Studies and Communication by the time she was 35 years old. “Luckily, my tūpuna set up a scholarship that I could use towards academic costs. The money I received was the make or break for my education. I was juggling fulltime study, two children and Auckland living - without the support, I would have had to quit,” says Jess.
The scholarship was the waka that allowed Jess to further her education, reconnect with Te Ao Māori and eventually led to her employment in Māori media.
Te Tumu Paeroa - the new Māori Trustee, administers Hereheretau Station and the Sir Apirana Ngata scholarships on behalf of the Māori Soldiers Trust. “Land profits can last for multiple generations if they are invested in scholarships,” says Bryan Cullis, Te Tumu Paeroa Registry Officer. “The benefits stand throughout time - mō tātou ā mō kā uri, a muri ake nei – for us and those after us.”
Life-changing
Jess’s dedication led to her 2012 graduation, and an award in academic excellence. Furthermore, Jess has taken a position at AUT where she mentors and inspires other young Māori who are studying. She describes her degree as “completely life-changing”.
She says, “I didn’t realise I had the capability to complete this degree! People now put their trust in my expertise - and I know what I’m doing! There is a new confidence within me that is fuelled by my education and my culture.”
