
Whitireia Foundation Scholarships Enable Study For Nearly 900 Students Across 20+ Years
From nursing and paramedicine to construction, hospitality, IT and more, the Foundation's impact spans a wide range of industries. More than half of all scholarship recipients have gone on to study in healthcare and social services, helping to fill essential roles in our communities.
The annual Whitireia Foundation Scholarship Awards ceremony took place this month, celebrating ākonga who have received scholarships to support their study at Whitireia and WelTec in 2025. The event brought together ākonga, whānau, sponsors, Foundation trustees, staff and community leaders including Porirua Mayor Anita Baker and Ngāti Toa Rangatira Dr Te Taku Parai to acknowledge the achievements of this year's recipients.
Dr Leanne Ivil, Whitireia and WelTec Operations Lead and Director Teaching and Learning, says the Foundation plays a vital role in helping ākonga succeed.
"Not only do these scholarships provide financial assistance, but they also give ākonga a sense of belonging, of being seen and supported. For many, the moment they realise that others believe in their future is a significant turning point."
Chair of the Whitireia Foundation, Kelvin Irvine, says the power of the scholarships lies in the connections they represent.
"Education isn't a solo journey. These awards reflect a wider community of sponsors, staff, mentors and whānau who come together to champion our ākonga. We'reincredibly proud to have supported nearly 900 ākonga to date, and we look forward to continuing that legacy."
Delia (Dee) Pahina-Kopa, a third-year Bachelor of Nursing Māori student, was awarded a Whitireia Foundation Scholarship sponsored by Tū Ora Compass Health for her second and third year of studies.
"This scholarship has lifted a huge weight off my shoulders," she says. " It's allowed me to focus fully on my learning and I'm incredibly grateful to the Whitireia Foundation and Tū Ora Compass Health for making that possible."
The Whitireia Foundation relies on the strong relationship between its trustees and sponsors who work together each year to support ākonga in their studies. Kelvin Irvine says sponsors come from a wide range of industries and their ongoing support reflects a shared commitment to helping ākonga succeed.
"Many of our sponsors have supported the Foundation for years, while others have come on board more recently. What they all have in common is a belief in the value of education and a commitment to invest in the future of our young people and communities," says Kelvin.
This year's scholarships will support students across a range of programmes at Whitireia and WelTec, including nursing, social work, IT, business, construction, creativity, hospitality and trades.
The Whitireia Foundation, a volunteer-run Charity, aims to promote knowledge, interest and support for the educational activities of Whitireia and WelTec ākonga. The Whitireia Foundation would like to acknowledge the generous support of 2025 sponsors:
- Alpha NZ
- Aspiring Wallpaper Ltd
- Britton House Movers Ltd
- Dr Sally Hasell
- Focus Projects Ltd
- Ford Sumner Lawyers
- Foster + Melville Architects
- Gee & Hickton Funeral Directors
- Geraldine Lyndhurst
- Graduate Women Wellington
- J A Russell Ltd
- James and Janet Goggin
- Kirk-Burnnand Family
- Maude Legal
- Montage NZ
- Ngāti Toa Rangatira
- Nikau Foundation
- P & M Waite
- Porirua City Council
- Red Wolf Security
- Tanya and Neil Macdonald
- The Y Foundation (YMCA)
- Tu Ora Compass Health
- Whitireia FoundationENDS
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Obituary: Teacher, mentor could 'find a rainbow in every cloudy sky'
Beyond all the medals and awards, lay a steely and quiet (mostly quiet) determination, a focus, a stubborn perseverance - all borne out of obstacles, stereotypes, and cultural and societal expectations. When Ali'itasi Pepe (Tasi) Lemalu (nee Nanai Vatau) emigrated from Western Samoa to New Zealand in 1955, it was a challenging environment, having to navigate cultural differences. Whatever equality issues New Zealand faces now, they were multiplied many-fold 70 years ago. For many in her situation, it would have been easy to buckle in that environment. But for Tasi, it made her stronger, a fierce force to be reckoned with, and a trailblazing advocate for her community and Pacific peoples. Tasi was born in Falelatai, on March 4, 1937, to father and village High Chief Nanai Tietie Saunoa Vatau Salu Tuliloaina and mother Fuifui Nanai Vatau (nee Eliapo Ale). She was one of 12 children brought up with the traditional Samoan cultural values of faith, respect and education. She was 18 when she emigrated to New Zealand, firstly to Wellington, then Christchurch in 1958, and finally to Dunedin in 1960. It was while working at the Roslyn Woollen Mill with her two sisters, Toeupu and Pule, that she first met her future husband Foalima Lemalu. They married in 1970 at the First Church of Otago, where they remained life-long members of the congregation, and went on to have two children — Selena and Jonathan. As parents, they instilled in their children the values of kindness, humility, a love of learning and discipline, and taught them to value family, community and faith, and to be proud of their heritage. They also made many sacrifices so their children could have opportunities they never had when they were growing up. It was while attending a 1982 community conference addressing the education needs of Pacific Islanders that Tasi had her first formal contact with a tertiary education institution where she would spend more than three decades — Otago Polytechnic. At that same conference, Tasi was elected chairwoman of the Pacific Island Education Committee, which later became the Pacific Island Advisory Council. Tasi, along with other leaders of the committee, secured financial assistance from the Department of Internal Affairs to run courses for Pacific Island people, with Otago Polytechnic providing the venue. They also set up an early childhood centre to enable parents to attend the courses. This led to Otago Polytechnic employing Tasi in the role of Pacific Island liaison tutor in March, 1985. The 0.7 FTE enabled her to continue being a hands-on mother. She was proud to be part of the polytechnic team that established the inaugural Māori and Pacific Island Centres. As liaison tutor, Tasi worked tirelessly, recruiting Pacific Island students, retaining and supporting them, and sometimes helping them to overcome challenges in educational achievement. A longstanding member of the Association of Pasifika Staff in Tertiary Education (APSTE), Tasi was honoured in 2016 as its longest-serving foundation member. She was recently honoured in a written tribute by fellow alumni, which said: "We are often reminded of those [on] whose shoulders we stood, and the sacrifices taken by them to pave a way for others to build and thrive. "None other exemplifies the courage, sacrifice and determination to pave a way for many in the tertiary education sector like Ali'itasi Pepe Lemalu — affectionately known as Aunty Tasi. "As the Pacific liaison officer at Otago Polytechnic, she joined forces with other influential Pacific liaison officers across Aotearoa ... and mobilised a movement to elevate Pacific community experiences and input as a necessary enabler to Pacific student success and achievement in the tertiary education sector." She was also chairwoman of Strengthening Pacific Island Family Support (SPIFS) — the local Pasifika education reference committee — and the Dunedin representative on the Ministry of Education's National Pasifika Advisory Group (PAG). After serving on the PAG for 15 years, Tasi was appointed as an elder. She was a Pacific Island member of the Presbyterian Support Council, the Otago representative on the Advisory Committee to the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs and the State Services Commission course for Pacific Island senior managers. She also championed a few initiatives of her own, including the Pasifika Study Support Centre at Brockville School, the Talanoa Ako radio programme on Hills AM and Otago Access Radio, and the promotion of a national contract for early childhood education teaching to Pacific people. Tasi also had a passion for, and a commitment to, the arts, and she served on the Māori and Pacific Arts Council of New Zealand before it was disestablished and became Creative New Zealand in 1993. Her oratory skills were sought after as a consultant and adviser on many Pacific community affairs, including as a highly regarded translator and interpreter at the Department of Courts, raising Pacific Island cultural awareness in the medical and education systems, and as a justice of the peace since 1996. Considering the long hours of travel, meetings, minute writing/reading, planning, preparation, strategising, discussions, debate and disagreements — none of her groundbreaking, icebreaking, pioneering efforts were easy. She was direct and clear, and she mastered a range of expressions and looks that signalled her approval or disappointment. Each day, each year, she went into battle for her community, all at the cost of family and friends. She taught anyone who knew her about courage, tenacity, speaking up, turning up, commitment and playing the long game. She constantly displayed examples of knowing who she was and unapologetically fighting for what she believed in. She believed that trying and failing was better than never trying at all; that achievements worth fighting for, often begin as failures; that expectations and rules were often our own or someone else's confines; that doing the right thing was what was needed; that sometimes it was important to be comfortable in being uncomfortable; and that being curious showed you cared. Her children affectionately nicknamed her George, after the main character of the cartoon Curious George, because she too was curious, adventurous, always getting into trouble and learning from choices and experiences. All of these qualities shone in her work. Her contributions were recognised with numerous awards, including Membership of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in 2007 for services to the Pacific Islands community; a 2014 Ministry of Education award for distinguished services to Pasifika education; and Emeritus Membership of Otago Polytechnic in 2017. Professional achievements aside, Tasi had eclectic interests. She loved gardening, was a talented seamstress, and dreamt of one day having her own dressmaking business, and she studied family law at the University of Otago. Legacy is the sum of the personal values, accomplishments and actions that resonate with the people around you. At the core of Tasi's legacy was a simple and genuine love of connecting with, and compassion for, people. She is remembered by her family and friends for her insight, her high standards, her wonderful common sense and infectious charm, and the ability to find a rainbow in every cloudy sky. In the latter years, she fought valiantly to hold on to her sense of self, despite the ravages of illness, but also demonstrated an acceptance of the changes through a strong faith. Her fierce and enduring love of her children and family never waned. Tasi died on May 25, 2025, aged 88. She is survived by husband Lemalu Nanai Foalima, daughter Selena, son Jonathan and daughter-in-law Sandra, and grandchildren Arabella and Joshua. — John Lewis.


Scoop
5 days ago
- Scoop
Principals Call For Alternative Assessments To Stay Beyond 2027
The Secondary Principals Association says some members want a temporary alternative to online NCEA literacy and numeracy tests to become permanent. In poor communities, about 60 percent of students failed the online reading, writing and maths tests, or common assessment activities (CAAs) in May. Secondary Principals Association president Louise Anarau said students who failed could instead reach the requirement through internally assessed standards, but only until the end of 2027. She said the alternative pathway was especially useful for students who struggled with exams. "The Year 12 learners this year, over 50 percent of them who didn't achieve the CAAs in Year 11 have done so as Year 12, more so through the alternative pathways assessment," she said. "We know that our Māori, Pacific learners perform better in alternative assessments to exam-like settings and and the transitional arrangement allows for that." Anaru said, as a result, some principals wanted the alternative pathway to remain permanently. "Principals with Māori, Pacific learners and lower-income communities are calling for the transitional arrangements for the alternate pathway systems to remain on a permanent basis," she said. Anaru said the online tests created an equity divide between schools and increased the number of school-leavers with no qualification. "I am hearing from principals, particularly in high-equity schools, a concern that there will be an increase in leavers with no qualifications," she said.

RNZ News
5 days ago
- RNZ News
Principals call for alternative assessments to stay beyond 2027
Some principals claim online tests increase the number of school-leavers with no qualification. Photo: 123RF The Secondary Principals Association says some members want a temporary alternative to online NCEA literacy and numeracy tests to become permanent. In poor communities, about 60 percent of students failed the online reading, writing and maths tests , or common assessment activities (CAAs) in May. Secondary Principals Association president Louise Anarau said students who failed could instead reach the requirement through internally assessed standards, but only until the end of 2027. She said the alternative pathway was especially useful for students who struggled with exams. "The Year 12 learners this year, over 50 percent of them who didn't achieve the CAAs in Year 11 have done so as Year 12, more so through the alternative pathways assessment," she said. "We know that our Māori, Pacific learners perform better in alternative assessments to exam-like settings and and the transitional arrangement allows for that." Anaru said, as a result, some principals wanted the alternative pathway to remain permanently. "Principals with Māori, Pacific learners and lower-income communities are calling for the transitional arrangements for the alternate pathway systems to remain on a permanent basis," she said. Anaru said the online tests created an equity divide between schools and increased the number of school-leavers with no qualification. "I am hearing from principals, particularly in high-equity schools, a concern that there will be an increase in leavers with no qualifications," she said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.