At the Toi Ohomai graduation ceremony yesterday, Keri-Marie joined more than a thousand students at the Rotorua Events Centre who saw their dreams become reality.
"It took me four and a half years to get here," the 23-year-old nursing graduate said.
"It's surreal."
After a year of Covid-19 lockdowns, and suffering losses in her family, Keri-Marie said the ceremony brought her to tears.
The issue is believed to have been caused by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, and has affected transport, flights, banks and supermarkets around the world. Video / CNBC