The 2020 recipients of The Victory University of Wellington’s Teresia Teaiwa Memorial Scholarships are postgraduate student Kaitlin Abbott and BA/LLB student Esther Patu.
The scholarships are awarded annually to Pasifika students in Pacific Studies (Va’aomanū Pasifika) in memory of Associate Professor Teresia Teaiwa, who was the Director of Va’aomanū Pasifika.
Postgraduate student Kaitlin reflects, “Pacific Studies helped me to see and accept that you can have a Pasifika perspective at university, and it has encouraged me to use that perspective in other subjects. I didn’t think I could do that.”
“After my degree, I want to do everything. I want to write, teach, make films. I want to be creative. Pasifika people are great storytellers and I want to use that to help in the work I hope to do with Pasifika communities here in New Zealand.”
Esther Patu is in her second year of a joint BA/LLB with majors in Pacific Studies and Law and a minor in International Business. She says she plans to pursue a career in law, criminal or environmental work, and she dreams of being part of shaping a better future for the Pacific and Pasifika people.
“Studying PASI [Pacific Studies] and being Pasifika in a system that doesn’t necessarily cater to us means empowerment for me as a Pasifika woman, and it motivates me to strive to achieve my goals and dreams,” she says.
“Pacific Studies for me is not just an academic thing, it goes much deeper and gives me a connection to my ancestors, the people who put me here.”
The Teresia Teaiwa Scholarship Fund is now in its second year of awarding scholarships. The undergraduate scholarship is worth $6000, and the postgraduate scholarship is worth $10,000.
“We are fulfilling Teresia’s dream of providing support for fantastic young scholars such as Kaitlin and Esther,” says Programme Director Va’aomanū Pasifika Dr April Henderson.
Dr Teresia Teaiwa was a renowned scholar, poet, activist and mentor of I-Kiribati and African American descent. Among many accolades, she received the Education Award at the 2015 SunPix Pacific Peoples Awards.
As the Director of Va’aomanū Pasifika, Teresia strongly believed that Pasifika scholarships make a real difference— not only making university more accessible but also increasing the number of students continuing on to postgraduate studies. Her aim was to reinforce the value of higher education in creating a better future for all Pacific peoples.
