Year 11 Flaxmere College student awarded $5500 scholarship to go to Outward Bound

Steve Manning (left), Eru Heke and Clayton Walker celebrating Eru reciving the inaugural Elvidge & Partners Mauria te Pono Scholarship. Photo / Supplied

Year 11 Flaxmere college student Eru Heke is the first-ever student to be awarded the inaugural Elvidge & Partners Mauria te Pono Scholarship.

With the scholarship, Eru will travel to Anakiwa in the South Island to attend a 21-day Outward Bound Mind, Body and Soul course in January 2023.

Eru explained the scholarship means a lot to him.

“I am the first out of eight of my siblings to be presented with a scholarship like this, and I am truly grateful to have been given this amazing opportunity,” he said.

The Year 11 student is excited to learn new skills, become more independent, meet new people along the way, and create lifelong friendships.

The total scholarship is valued at more than $5500 and will cover course fees, travel and a contribution to any clothing gear that Eru might need.

Eru has decided no matter how difficult the activity is, he won’t give up and will push himself beyond his limits and comfort zone.

He plans to think outside the box and ‘outsmart smart’.

“I’m excited to carry on this learning experience and share it with rangatahi here in Paharakeke, Flaxmere,” he said.

Eru and his mum, Hine, met with partners Steve Manning and Clayton Walker from Elvidge & Partners, which is the Office of the Crown Solicitor for both Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne, to talk about the scholarship and Outward Bound programme.

“We created the annual scholarship to give back to the community we serve, and were pleased to choose Flaxmere College as the first school to benefit,” Manning said.

After meeting with Eru and Hine, Manning said that Eru was a brilliant choice to be the first recipient, and feels the opportunity will add to the leadership skills and potential that Eru is already showing at his kura and in his community.

“We look forward to meeting up again with Eru after his Outward Bound experience and hearing about his adventure,” Manning said.

Eru is very excited about attending the programme, and he and his whānau are very grateful for the support from Elvidge & Partners.

The Flaxmere College student said the biggest thing he wants to take away from the course is the knowledge that there will be so many different ways to look at problems.

“I want to let the future generation of Flaxmere know there will be problems, and they will be hard, but they need to fight to overcome them.

“They will get tired and think there’s no way they can do this, but my goal is to prove them wrong, and help them understand that there are so many answers and that there is never only one answer.”