Five Māori high school students soar high with academic scholarship

Anika Lomax from Epsom Girls Grammar School in Auckland recipient of the Te Ara a Kupe Beaton Scholarship. Photo: Supplied/ Anika Lomax

The academic dreams of five Māori high school students from across the country are one step closer to reality thanks to the Te Ara a Kupe Beaton Scholarship.

The winners of the 2023 scholarship will each gain access to personalised support and education services worth up to $25,000.

Past winners have been admitted to the US top 10 universities including two to Harvard and one to Duke University.

Anika Lomax from Epsom Girls Grammar School in Auckland is one of this year’s recipient.

She said it had always been her goal to study overseas with the hope of bringing that knowledge back to her communities one day.

“Once I gain all the knowledge and skills I can at university to the best level, I really think it would be cool to come back to New Zealand and use what I have and try and make a positive difference in the community, especially for Māori and Pasifika people.”

Tai Renner (Year 13, Wellington College, Wellington), was another winner. Photo / Supplied

Lomax said she wanted to be a role model for Māori kids coming up in schools, who would see a potential pathway for them in her journey.

She said the scholarship would help her find a university that was a good fit to achieve all her goals.

“I was really looking to try and find a university where I can get a really good education [and] play sports, I play football. And also have a really good balance of embracing Māori culture, I think this scholarship will help me do that.”

Lomax said now that the initial shock of winning had worn off she was even more excited about her future.

The Te Ara a Kupe Beaton Scholarship was founded by Crimson Education, and aimed to support Māori high school students to gain admission to top ranked universities.

Following its sixth year, the scholarship has now expanded to help young New Zealanders with Pacific heritage to advance their studies and secure their top university admissions.

The other recipients of this year’s scholarships are:

Aidan Hodgson (Year 11 at St Paul’s Collegiate, Hamilton)

Johnny Bentley-Cribb (Year 13 at St Patrick’s College Silverstream, Upper Hutt)

Lena Ormsby (Year 13 at Karamu High School, Hastings)

Tai Renner (Year 13 at Wellington College, Wellington)