Kaitaia man Joe Bellass made good use of the opportunity to speak for students from around the Upper North Island at the Open Polytechnic's Auckland graduation ceremony.
Mr Bellass, who graduated with a Bachelor of Information Technology, said he never thought he would reach this taumata (this level) after leaving school at a young age.
After starting a family, he decided to "get back on the waka" for the betterment of himself, his three children and his people.
He was the first in his immediate whānau to obtain a degree.
His study journey and qualification, he added, were the stepping stone he needed to pursue his goal of inspiring young Māori, and others who missed their study opportunity, to learn more about IT.