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National | Education

Māori secondary school students striving for top international universities

Māori students from across the country have been awarded scholarships totalling $100,000 to attend top global universities.

The awards ceremony was held at the Pullman Hotel in Auckland last night.

A member of the selection panel, Shay Wright (Te Rarawa) says, "This scholarship really is an opportunity to bring the resources that we need around us as young Māori and step into these academic environments so that we can take those tools and bring them back to look after our communities."

There are five scholarships of $20,000 to be awarded to Maori students tonight for personalised mentoring and education services.

Recipient Lily Holder-McFlinn (Rongowhakaata), "This is amazing because it gives me this opportunity to have this world stage and this global sphere of influence to enact real tangible change in like the Māori community."

Shay Wright is on the Forbes Under 30 Asia list for his business acumen.

He says, "In my own journey, I've experienced the strength and power of those connections and so to be able to build bridges out to the world and then venture out to experience those environments."

Thanks to this scholarship from Crimson Education for these students, the world is their oyster.

Rongopai Te Ata Pounamu Tickell (Ngāi Tahu) says, "It's a responsibility to be able to use it and give it back to the people, my people."

The big decision now for these students is which international university to strive for.