Birthday gift takes cake, 19 years on

Zahid and Alice Ali with their son Iliyas Ali and the scholarship from Manukau Polytechnic (now Manukau Institute of Technology). Photo / Brett Phibbs

When Manukau Institute of Technology student Iliyas Ali turned up to class with a 19-year-old scholarship certificate to cover the $5700 cost of his course, tutors thought he must be joking.

Knowing nothing about it, they got on the phone and called bosses, who rang other colleagues until they found someone who remembered the old scholarship - a gift the polytech gave to a randomly selected newborn at Middlemore Hospital while celebrating its 21st birthday in 1991.

While the intriguing story behind the scholarship may have been lost to many at MIT, it's one that has been recalled countless times at the South Auckland teenager's home, "mostly around the dinner table".

"Sometimes when Mum sits next to me I would just nudge her a bit and say 'you tell the story'," Iliyas told the Weekend Herald.

Iliyas' father, Zahid Ali, clearly recalls the day his newborn son was chosen for the scholarship. He'd just returned to the hospital, after popping out for a bit, and discovered lots of people standing around his wife and son.

"I saw a huge crowd, at first I was shocked and thought something was wrong."

But those concerns where quickly allayed.

"The people at MIT came straight to me because my wife said 'that's the father'. First of all they said congratulations. I was blown away."

A story about the scholarship ran in the Herald - prompting many friends and family to ask what had happened.

In the end a proud Mr Ali said it was easier to show people so he framed both the scholarship and the story and placed them on the table facing the sofa - where they stayed in full view until very recently.

Iliyas, who did some of his schooling in Fiji, said he always knew about his MIT scholarship but never let it influence his decision about where to study.

At one stage, he planned on going to medical school but an unexpected love of engineering classes at high school changed his mind so he decided to apply for MIT's Plumbing and Gasfitting course.

He initially planned to keep his scholarship for further study but quickly realised he would go on to an apprenticeship and then into the workforce - possibly starting his own business - once his course finished.

So, he took his scholarship in to his tutors.

"I think at first they didn't believe me," he said. "I showed the photo to [lecturer] Tony and he goes 'that's unbelievable that you got it 19 years ago'."

Several calls later - and a trip down memory lane for some staff who were at MIT when the scholarship was handed out - and Iliyas' one-year course was paid for.

The teenager says having the scholarship frees up money he'd saved while working at high school, which he now plans to put towards tools, and possibly a vehicle, for the trade.

His father said the scholarship had taken a lot of financial pressure off the family. .

"I have a huge thank you to the polytech for giving him the scholarship.

"Not many people get a scholarship like that, especially for people like us coming from Fiji, so it was a huge thing."

MIT spokeswoman Donna Davies said the polytech's structure had changed since 1991 so most staff were unaware the scholarship had existed. But they were delighted it would be used in the polytech's 40th year.