WAIRARAPA MOANA
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Aroha Geange Past Scholarship Recipient Ko Ko Ko Ko Ko Ko Ko Ko Ko
Tararua te maunga Waiohine te awa Takitimu te waka Ngāti Kahungunu te iwi Ngāti Moe te hapū Papawai te Pā Taratahi tōku kāinga Geange tōku whānau Aroha tōku ingoa
Study/where/length: I started studying the Bachelor of Nursing in 2016 at UCOL Masterton. I completed my degree December 2020, graduating in March 2021.
Whakapapa (Which original owner): #67 Pou Manihera.
Aspirations from beginning to end of study: Over many years I had always thought of becoming a nurse but didn’t voice this thought to anyone. I worked in many jobs from lifeguarding at the town pool, hospitality doing café/bar work to selling insurance in Australia for various banks, to working in a 5-star restaurant overlooking Sydney Harbour Bridge. After five years living in Australia, I moved home and I started dairy farming, milking cows for three years then I completed a course at UCOL in Exercise Performance Level 4 where I went on to work as a personal trainer at a women’s gym in Porirua/Paraparaumu. I enjoyed this job, however, with my work hours cut back significantly I needed to find alternative work. Following that I went on to work at the Defence Force Army Camp in Trentham as a Steward in the messes for six months and was seconded into Rations/Finance as a clerk for the Hospitality Platoon until 2015 where, unfortunately, restructuring occurred. ESS, a civilian company, took over the reins therefore, not only me but all civilians in our platoon had to find alternative employment. We were given first choice for jobs within the camp and I found a position at the
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Army Medical Centre as the ACC/Clerk. Not long after, restructuring occurred again and by this stage I had had enough going from job to job. Having had the experience around the nurses I was working with, it finally gave me the push that I needed to pursue my nursing career. I liked the idea of being able to work in so many areas of nursing, there is such a broad range of job opportunities within nursing you can pursue. There was also doubt clouding my mind – three years full time study felt like a very long time and with a 1½ year old baby boy I wondered if I was doing the right thing. There were definitely very challenging times throughout my four years of study where I felt like I wanted to give up. Many late nights trying to meet deadlines with completing essays and studying for exams was the most stressed I’ve ever felt in my entire life. All I kept thinking about was, I had to keep going because I knew by achieving this degree it would be a better future for my whànau and me.
What benefits did the Wairarapa Moana grant provide to help you: I was very fortunate to have received the grant three times throughout my study. This benefited hugely as it was used towards any resources I needed to purchase for studying, such as: Nursing books, stationery, uniform, shoes, and fees. It was one less thing to worry about knowing I had this grant to help pay towards anything I needed. Very, very grateful indeed.
