Student Profiles

Wallace Te Ahuru says the old stereotype about accounting being boring and accountants lacking personality is "a whole lot of rubbish" and there's a younger breed coming through who are breathing new life into the industry.

One does wonder if most of this "new breed" is also getting up at 3am to take a peek at the New York Stock Exchange as Wallace does. Never mind. Wallace says he can't resist and, with a view to one day being more closely involved, perhaps as a financial analyst, he "dabbles" in trading stocks while studying and working.

Wallace, who is of Tuwharetoa descent, is studying part time toward the New Zealand Diploma in Business at Waiariki Institute of Technology while working as the administrator at Rotorua Museum.

His short term goals involve finishing the diploma, then going on to gain a Bachelor of Commerce, then start his career as a chartered accountant for a major accounting firm.

"Waiariki is a stepping stone to achieving the end result," Wallace says. "It's just a marvellous facility… one can work and study at the same time quite easily."

While working at the museum for the past five years, Wallace's role has included looking after the accounts. That has helped him gain skills which will serve him well as an accountant, he says, as it enhances his understanding of what he's studying.
But he admits he hasn't always been good at mathematics.

"To tell the truth I was very mediocre, but with my accounting papers, with the help of the lecturers, I have done very well and have an average of A-plus."

Not bad for someone who's "mediocre" when it comes to figures. Crediting his tutors with a lot of his success, Wallace also admits to being a very regimented and organised person and likes things "to be tidy".

"It's very much like that with accounting. It suits my personality."

Wallace knows his qualifications will open doors in many areas within the finance arena and while he may be regimented and organised in his day-to-day life, Wallace is not rigid when it comes to what the future may hold and is keeping his options open.

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Trevor Van Niekerk says Waiariki Institute of Technology gave him the confidence to run his own business – immediately after graduating.

Trevor earned the Diploma in Fashion Technology in November 2010. He was the top in his class academically, took on lots of commissioned work for one-off designs, and was a finalist in the 2010 Westfield Style Pasifika awards.

Trevor said he was unsure what his next step after Waiariki would be, when the opportunity to own a design company arose. He was hesitant to begin with, but felt like he had enough experience and knowledge to take on the challenge.

"Toward the end of my time at Waiariki," Trevor says, "I was faced with the question of where to? Looking at the options in the greater picture, I was presented with an option to take on Drapes by Design, an existing custom-made curtain retail outlet. The thought was a bit daunting, but with a bit of time and encouragement, the decision almost became the next logical step.

"My time spent at Waiariki was fantastic. It helped me focus on what was important to me and showed me ways to improve and grow. I gained much knowledge in not only the lectures or technical information but personal growth during my time at Waiariki."

His shop on Hinemoa Street in Rotorua's CBD is flourishing and even before his one-year anniversary, Trevor has already increased his staff, adding former classmate Paula Downer to the payroll.

"I hired Paula because when we were at tech together she was always on the ball, friendly and helpful. Because we studied together I knew who I was employing and knew what skills she had.

"Being at Waiariki helped me gain my self confidence back and armed me with a better understanding of problem solving and being creative amongst many everyday skills I use in the day-to-day running of my business."

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Admittedly, it was with some trepidation that Delise Waerea enrolled at Waiariki Institute of Technology. She was in her late 30s with four children at home, and it had been many years since her school days. But she didn't let any of those factors sway her from her course.

"I just decided that I didn't want to wait until my baby finished school before enrolling and doing something for myself," she says. "I wanted to upskill myself and get out of the rut we were in, to get off the benefit. So I made a bold move to go live in Rotorua, leave my whanau and start brand new in a strange town."

She shifted to Rotorua in 2008 and set her sights on earning the Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood Education), a Level 7, three-year qualification.

Polite and well-spoken, one would never guess that Delise had difficulty in school while growing up in Putaruru, South Waikato. Returning to the education system as an adult learner was a little scary, she says, so she enrolled first on the Certificate in Smart Study, a one-semester qualification which prepares students for study at diploma and degree levels.

"It challenged me a bit and as an older student I was worried, but with my smart study training and some positive encouragement from our teachers, I felt I was as ready as I could be to just dive in. Our tutors were so awesome, they were a wealth of support for identifying and alleviating our fears."

Delise is now in her third and final year of studying toward her diploma. She shifted to Mount Maunganui in late 2010 to be with her partner. She now commutes to Rotorua a few days a week, and works in the Mount for her practicum experience in an early childhood education centre.

"I love seeing children go from exploration to the comprehension of knowing. Seeing children bridging that knowledge and watching them navigate their own learning is one of the rewards of being a teacher. As a teacher I believe that part of our role is to empower children to be happy, healthy human beings, capable of problem solving and making informed choices that contribute to their wealth of knowledge as our leaders of tomorrow."

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Chris Groome, born in Kaitaia and raised in Tauranga, is both hardworking and talented.

Born into a family with a long history of working in forestry, from an early age Chris looked up to his grandfather who was a forest ranger, and his dad who drove logging trucks. Chris knew what line of work he wanted to pursue.

Early on in his career Chris moved to Australia and found work with a firewood merchant. After a few years of hard labour he returned to New Zealand to follow his dreams and enrolled on the Certificate in Practical Logging at Waiariki Institute of Technology.

His qualification lead to a position at McIntosh Logging of Rotorua where he worked for a couple of years.

In 2004, Chris took another trip overseas, this time to the U.S. He saw a lot of the country while driving interstate trucks delivering various goods. After Chris's work visa expired he made his way back to Waiariki to upskill. He says he was hesitant to leave the industry for another two years to return to education but he wanted more technical skills and management training.

"I had heard about the Diploma in Forest Management from a tutor, which was mentioned during my [practical logging courses]. I decided this was the route I wanted to pursue."

While gaining the practical and theoretical elements of forestry, and developing a broad set of ground skills, Chris approached PF Olsen Ltd in Rotorua and was offered a three-month internship.

His hard work did not go unnoticed and during that internship Chris was offered a permanent position as a harvest supervisor.

Having completed his diploma in June 2011, Chris now works full time for PF Olsen.

The diversity of tasks and the great indoor-outdoor ratio of work have inspired Chris to further his career with PF Olsen, aiming to become a harvest planner, a very hands-on role and integral part of forest management.

"I get a lot of job satisfaction as I am constantly challenged throughout the harvesting phase. There are great benefits in a job like this. There is so much I can strive towards."

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Laetitia Haines grew up in Auckland's North Shore but has lived also in Rotorua, Sydney, Singapore and Hong Kong. No doubt her nomadic childhood was key in preparing her to handle change, adaptation and adjusting to unknown futures with grace – perfect ingredients for a chefto-be.

Now Laetitia has experienced another big change and added yet another stamp to her passport. This time it's from Ireland where, just three weeks after earning the Certificate in Professional Cookery and Patisserie from Waiariki Institute of Technology, the 20-year-old started working at Builín Blasta, a café and bakery in the small, west coast village of Spiddal.

They say it's a small world. Builín Blasta (Irish for "The Tasty Loaf") is owned and run by chef Jamie Peaker who is not only a Kiwi, but also a former Waiariki culinary student. His world tour as a professional chef has included London's highly acclaimed The Ivy, and more than 20 countries throughout Africa.

Now settled in Ireland since in 2008, Jamie has decided to honour his Waiariki roots and "pay it forward" by hiring a Waiariki-trained student as an intern.

Laetitia will board free while working alongside Jamie and his French pastry chef for three months. Besides working hard to learn as much from her mentor as possible, no doubt she'll pick up some of the Irish language as all of the wait staff speak it fluently and many of the locals chat in their native tongue over their Irish lamb stew and selection of freshly made breads.

Back at Waiariki, Laetitia says she enjoyed working in the kitchens on campus, and "the tutors are all very experienced and have a wealth of knowledge that I know they enjoy sharing. I know that all that I've learnt will help me in my future endeavours."

When her stint is up she'll stay another three months to take an organic cooking course which Laetitia says is the way of the future in cooking. The keen traveller says she'll also try to find time to see more of the picturesque island before her sense of adventure takes her to who-knows-where.

"I would hope to work my way up in the kitchen until I have enough experience to take on my own restaurant of sorts, and eventually I'd like to pass on my knowledge and experience and end up teaching or writing about food. Although, who knows? The advice I always get given is to jump at any opportunity and to see where life leads and that's my ultimate plan."

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Early on in her adult life, Wairangi Whata learned discipline and hard work through the military when she was stationed in the Middle East for two years.

When she left the military Wairangi moved to Auckland where she lived for 16 years before the call of her home and iwi, Ngati Pikiao, bought her back to Rotorua.

The mother of three young children, Wairangi has a strong desire to represent her people and their resources. She was undertaking a community course through Taurua Marae in Rotoiti when her tutor noticed she showed a strong understanding of what her iwi needs and has a strong work ethic. He suggested she look into studying the Bachelor of Māori Development offered by Waiariki Institute of Technology.

Her interest was sparked and she decided it was a good step toward building a strong foundation to become an educated representative.

"When my tutor told me about the Bachelor of Māori Development, I was drawn to the idea of studying, even though it means I juggle my children and study. I manage this well, as studying means I am working towards building a better future for them and my people."

She decided to take on a double major in Resource Management and Communications and is learning how to contribute to Māori development and hopes to work for a Māori organisation. She would love to help by developing and managing Māori resources for future generations.

"I want to do my part for Ngati Pikiao and my children. This bachelor's degree is a stepping stone to doing what I enjoy and what I am good at. I want to make a difference."

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While growing up on a small farm, Rachelle Stables always wanted to be a nurse, but her academic path found her studying animal science and technology at Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec) and working as a veterinary nurse.

She's also worked as a dental assistant and then assistant practice manager, before being awarded two scholarships which brought her original dream back into focus and she began studying at Waiariki Institute of Technology to gain her Bachelor of Nursing.

When the 2011 graduate completed her State Final Exam, like many of Waiariki's nursing graduates she was snapped up by Lakes District Health Board. Rachelle has been working in Rotorua Hospital's emergency department, a role in which she absolutely thrives, she says, and makes the best use of her energy and enthusiasm.

Rachelle believes the bicultural learning at Waiariki has become an embedded component of her work ethic and has given her the edge to confidently and successfully navigate her daily nursing role.

She draws on this learning to break down potential barriers such as age, gender and ethnicity, and also to manage patients who are unable to give verbal queues, such as a recent case when she had a non-English speaking patient. Rachelle recalls the things she learned in a lecture on non-verbal skills "came rushing back when I needed them, and they can be applied to all areas of life."

Rachelle firmly believes her nursing education has prepared her to be a well-rounded and skilled practitioner. She is able to utilise her learning in conjunction with her inherent communication and leadership skills, along with her strong community spirit, to forge ahead in her professional and personal ambitions.

Looking to the future, Rachelle's goals are to eventually return to Nepal where she has visited a few times to undertake community work. She would also like to complete her master's in nursing which she feels would help her really make a difference in any area she pursues both in New Zealand and in the Nepalese community.

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Carpentry is in Karen Brown's blood.

Both Karen's grandfather and great-grandfather were carpenters. Living with such creative people, Karen knew she wanted to work with her hands in moulding and shaping wood.

Although it was her aspiration to live up to her forefathers' skills, Karen enrolled on a computing course at Waiariki Institute of Technology. But, for her there was something missing. Was it the scent of fresh timber shavings? The urge to go back to her roots? Whatever it was, the pull of carpentry was too strong so Karen changed course and enrolled on the Certificate in Carpentry (Pre-trade). She wanted to study something she was passionate about. And learning carpentry meant Karen felt closer to her family and their past.

"I wanted to get into a profession that I knew I would love and learn skills that would last a life time."

Karen's toolbox of skills now includes the ability to solve mathematical problems quickly, develop plans and specifications, and prepare estimates and quotes for materials needed. She is learning everything she needs to know to become a knowledgeable carpenter. Completing the certificate, which includes an embedded national certificate, covers the theoretical criteria for ITaB (Industry Training Association Building) requirements for registered apprentices.

"I'm learning about the building industry as well as gaining new skills and developing the skills I already have. These skills will one day help me build my own home."

Karen is confident that by learning these skills she will be able to receive an apprenticeship to become a qualified builder. She would love to build homes, kitchens, furniture and restore older homes for others.

"Ultimately I would like to further my skills in the industry and become an architectural designer. I would love to own my own company one day. I'm sure my family would be extremely proud."

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