UCOL Te Pūkenga Whanganui holds scholarship ceremony

Charlene McGhechan and Kalisi Savu presented the Loloma Pasifika Scholarship to Tiare-Manea Wylie.

The 2023 Scholarship Ceremony was held at UCOL Te Pūkenga Whanganui on Thursday, October 5, with a record number of 47 scholarships being awarded.

One student was described as being a modern-day Florence Nightingale. Charlene McGechan is an A-grade student who keeps on giving. Now in the final year of her Bachelor of Nursing degree, Charlene has packed a lot into her UCOL years.

She has peer tutored Year 1 nursing students and is UCOL Te Pūkenga peer mentor for Pasifika students in a Whanganui pilot programme, which if successful, will be adopted by Te Pūkenga throughout New Zealand.

She has raised significant Givealittle funds after Cyclone Harold, to rebuild her demolished Fijian village, and sent used UCOL stovetops to a remote Fijian school and a charity that feeds underprivileged children.

She has taught Fijian women from the community to cook budget-friendly meals and her greatest sense of giving was with her fellow nursing student, Valisi Savu, who funded the Loloma Pasifika Scholarship since 2021 to a Pasifika nursing student.

The Akoranga Education Trust had 23 scholarships to award, presented by trust chairman Graham Adams. The following students were recipients:

Mihiata Sadlier, Bachelor of Business - Accounting; Angela Munro - Bachelor of Nursing; Camila Garner - Bachelor of Design & Art; Niomi Belton - NZ Certificate in Beauty Therapy L4; Kuliniasi Betakula - NZ Certificate Security L3; Campbell Rippon, NZ Certificate Security L3; Nathaniel Taukiri - NZ Certificate Security L3; Jasmin Roberts - NZ Certificate Mental Health & Wellbeing; Liea Murphy - NZ Certificate in Beauty Therapy L4; Michelle Webb - NZ Certificate Study & Career Prep L4; Michelle Webb - NZ Certificate Study & Career Prep L4; Manu Xaviour - Bachelor of Nursing; Lucy Davis-Kelly - NZ Diploma in Early Childhood Education; Jhon Manalo - Bachelor of Nursing; Julie Akinyele - Bachelor of Nursing; Toni-Renee Heke-Rogan - Bachelor of Nursing; Stevie Mason-Smallman - Bachelor of Nursing; Tony Leatherby - Bachelor of Nursing; Koree Marshall - NZ Certificate Study & Career Prep L4; McKenzie Banks - NZ Certificate Automotive Engineering L3; Ashley Taukiri - NZ Certificate Security L3; Lamepa-Lynette Vaelua-Sio - NZ Certificate Mental Health & Wellbeing; Brooklyn Barlow - NZ Certificate in Beauty Therapy L4, Shasika Jaya-Hitihamilage - NZ Diploma in Enrolled Nursing.

The Arthur Wheeler Leedstown Trust scholarships were presented by Josh Chandulal-McKay: Francis Jithin - Bachelor of Nursing; Niomi Belton - NZ Certificate in Beauty Therapy L4; Isabelle McKenzie-Hanning - NZ Certificate in Beauty Therapy L4; Mikayla Slaughter - Bachelor of Nursing; Jodie-Abree Brown - NZ Diploma in Enrolled Nursing; Ariana Ruki-Joseph - Bachelor of Nursing; Mae Burling-Claridge - NZ Certificate Construction Trade Skills L3; Tenesha Holloway - NZ Certificate in Beauty Therapy L4.

The Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand scholarship was presented by Cameron Town: Mihiata Sadlier - Bachelor of Business - Accounting.

The Whanganui Education Trust scholarships were presented by Stuart Hylton: Camila Garner - Bachelor of Design & Art; Breianna Chapman - Bachelor of Nursing; Che’z-Ashli Peter - Bachelor of Nursing.

The George Boulton Trust scholarships were presented by Kate Smith: Decadia Pakinga - NZ Certificate Mental Health & Wellbeing; Alexandra Patu-Taylor - NZ Certificate in Study & Career Prep; Charlotte Hedley - NZ Diploma in Early Childhood Education.

The Whanganui Combined Rotary Clubs scholarships were presented by Kate Smith: Michelle Waters - Bachelor of Nursing; Zodiac-Jamal Tapa - NZ Certificate Security L3; Kelly Conneely - Bachelor of Nursing.

The Lions Club of Wanganui Inc. scholarships were presented by Wally Barrington: Paris Munro - Bachelor of Nursing; Sujith Subash - Bachelor of Nursing; Stormy Bugg - Bachelor of Nursing.

The Pati Family scholarship was presented by William & Anneke Pati: Eseta Mataitoga - Bachelor of Nursing.

The Bromar Trust scholarship was presented by Mark Simmonds: Charlene McGechan - Bachelor of Nursing.

The Loloma Pasifika scholarship was presented by Charlene McGhechan & Kalisi Savu: Tiare Manea-Wylie - Bachelor of Nursing.