He now teaches level 4 te reo Māori at EIT, after enrolling there in 2022.
Rogers, 36, moved to Hawke’s Bay for a fresh start.
His wife, who was living in Whanganui at the time, sold her home so they could settle in the region and begin the next chapter of their lives.
“My wife’s support made all the difference – she gave me a solid footing to land on,” he said.
Although Rogers grew up surrounded by kapa haka and a father who taught tikanga, te reo Māori was not a language he spoke fluently as a child.
“I could understand bits of it, but I didn’t know how to speak it properly,” he said.
“I grew up around it, but I didn’t have the reo myself.”
Later in life, during a period of reflection and transition, he made the decision to commit to learning te reo and deepening his understanding of te ao Māori.
He began by completing a six-month level 2 certificate elsewhere.
“When I was starting to get a grasp of te reo, I actually saw the benefits, not just of the language, but of how it changed how I saw the world. That’s what grounded me.”
That self-motivation eventually led him to EIT’s Te Ūranga Waka, where he enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts (Māori) and found the structure, support, and sense of belonging he needed to continue his journey.
Rogers said he found more than just a place to study.
“Te Ūranga Waka was a great support for me. They gave me a community away from home. It felt like I’d found a new whānau.”
Alongside teaching, Rogers is also a carver. His carvings reflect his heritage and his journey, and carving remains a grounding practice in his day-to-day life.
“That was always the goal, to keep teaching te reo and keep carving,” he said.
Rogers said EIT gave him the foundation to do work that continues to challenge and inspire him, for which he is grateful.
“It gave me the chance to start again,” he said
“Now I get to give back.”
Tash Hau, Poutuarā assistant head ofschool, Te Ūranga Waka, congratulated Rogers on his “well-deserved” appointment to valedictorian.
“We are very proud of Elijah and his achievements. This is yet another example of what is possible when dedication, self-belief and a solid work ethic fuse together,” she said.
“Ko ngā ara tūmanko, ko ngā ara tūmanako e!”
