Grateful for Te Waiu o Aotearoa Trust scholarship

Te Waiu o Aotearoa (TWOA) Trust scholarship winner Cody Anderson. He says, “business is my passion”. Picture supplied

Gisborne student and would-be entrepreneur Cody Anderson has been awarded a Te Waiu o Aotearoa (TWOA) Trust scholarship.

The second-year Business Studies student at Eastern Institute of Technology Te Pūkenga in Gisborne said he was “stoked” to receive the $5000 scholarship.

The  scholarship would be helpful, particularly since his parents’ orchard, where he regularly worked, had been impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle.

He says seeing his parents work for themselves had helped to determine his future path.

“I’ve always had an interest in business — I like finance and numbers, and entrepreneurship.”

Studying for a business degree at EIT seemed a natural choice.

“I wanted something local. I didn’t want to go out of town as I didn’t want to take on a huge debt.

“EIT’s amazing; everything’s one-on-one with the tutors, and it’s a really small classroom environment which I feel personalises the learning.”

Having achieved his Diploma in Business Studies, Cody will continue studying for the next two years to complete his degree.

After that, he hopes to enter the banking industry.

• The Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Ngāti Porou and Rongowhakaata student is one of four recipients of the Te Waiu o Aotearoa (TWOA) Trust scholarship in 2024.

The TWOA Trust was established in 1994 as an independent entity working to promote, develop and provide for the education, advancement, and employment opportunities of students of Māori descent.

As a partner, Westpac NZ has administered the trust since it was established.