Toloa Scholarship recipients announced
Pacific Peoples Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga awarded four young people $25,000 scholarships aimed at encouraging more Pacific people into studying science, technology, engineering and maths subjects.
The Toloa Scholarships, funded by the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, were awarded at a ceremony at the University of Auckland’s Fale Pasifika.
“The aim of the Toloa Scholarships is to encourage Pacific students into studying science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects at tertiary level and so increase the number of Pacific people working in these areas,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.
“The calibre of applicants was high, and I was encouraged by the interest in these new scholarships. New Zealand’s Pacific population is one of the youngest and fastest-growing in the country. It is important that these young and bright people are given every opportunity to become the industry leaders and problem-solvers of the future,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.
The four Toloa Scholarships, worth $25,000 over three years each, are open to first year undergraduate and postgraduate Pacific students studying STEM-related papers. The recipients also receive mentoring and an industry internship.
The recipients are (from left to right):
Zoe So’otaga - Tokelau, Samoa, NZ European residing in Wellington
(First Year Bachelor of Building Science, Victoria University of Wellington)
Sela Finau – Tonga residing in Auckland
(First Year Bachelor of Science, majoring in Biomedical Science, Universityof Auckland)
Melissa Kupa – Tokelau residing in Wellington
(First Year Bachelor of Engineering Technology, Wellington Institute of Technology)
Fuli Junior Fuli – Samoa residing in Auckland
(Bachelor of Technology (Honours), University of Auckland)