Māori lens influences the switch from nursing to social work
Palmerston North local, Nicole Tipene, was working towards her nursing degree before making the switch to study a Bachelor of Bicultural Social Work at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
Throughout her life, she has consistently shown genuine compassion and concern for others and wanted to work in an industry where she could serve the community.
But soon after beginning her nursing degree, she became more open to and curious about te ao Māori (the Māori worldview).
“I was challenged by a teacher on my whakaaro (opinion) on something to the point where it changed my perspective on the world. I got interested in Māori spaces, Māori issues, myself, and my whānau. I decided I wanted to do social work, and I knew I had to study here.”
Nicole is in her final year of the four-year degree, something she is proud of, considering she didn’t complete secondary school.
The mum of three hopes that by completing her degree, she can be an example to her tamariki (children) and break generational cycles for her whānau.
“Te Wānanga o Aotearoa has helped open doors to further education, and I’ve been able to reconnect in an identity sense. The tools I’ve learnt help navigate barriers and challenges, and they reassert my confidence.”
Studying in a space where Māoritanga (Māori culture) is celebrated was a key factor in Nicole’s academic success. She praises her kaiako (teachers) for creating a classroom environment where tauira can be vulnerable without judgement or pressure.
Nicole says the learning was “real and raw, and it was a safe space to explore yourself.”
After completing her degree, Nicole has high hopes for her future and the future of her whānau. But for now, she continues to focus on her study and make the most of each class and lesson.
“We go deep into ourselves, and what comes out of that are tools we can use outside of here. We can use them in our everyday lives, and that’s the reason that I can accomplish my goals.”
Pūrongo whakahirahira
Featured stories
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa launches new reo Māori programmes to help te reo thrive for generations to come
For over four decades, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa has created pathways for generations of tauira to learn, speak, teach and live te reo Māori. That legacy has supported the return of te reo Māori to everyday life, from whānau learning their first kupu, to tauira carrying reo onto marae, and into workplaces, classrooms and homes.
Turning a passion for rongoā into community healing
Rongoā Māori has always been part of Patricia Tangira-Falwasser's life, but it was her studies at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa that deepened her knowledge and inspired her to start a business that now serves her wider community.
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa kaimahi claims gold at Waka Ama World Championship
Ken Henry (Te Whakatōhea, Waikato-Tainui) is a Tauira Support Advisor at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa Whakatāne campus who took home gold at the Waka Ama World Championships in Singapore in August.
A passion for taonga Māori takes Chanel to Oxford
What started as a desire to strengthen her reo Māori has taken Chanel Coromandel (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Apakura, Ngāti Whanaunga) on an unexpected path, leading to an opportunity to contribute to the care and preservation of taonga Māori at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, England.
Reconnecting to te ao Māori through raranga
Haylee Roussel (Ngāti Rārua, Rangitāne, Ngāti Maniapoto) was searching for a way to reconnect with te ao Māori when she enrolled in the Certificate in Māori and Indigenous Art, Raranga, at the Waiwhero campus of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
A journey shaped by whānau and a love of tamariki
Members of Tayla-Marie Takawe’s (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Maniapoto) whānau were among the first tauira to graduate from the Bachelor of Education (Primary Teaching) at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
Finding a deeper sense of self through te ao Māori
Moving to Aotearoa from rural Australia as a teenager, Lily Warring found herself wanting to learn more about the culture and language of the place she now called home.
Creating the spark for business success
With plenty of experience as an electrician, Josh Verstraten was ready to branch out from employee to business owner, but he knew running a successful business would require a new set of skills.
From financial stress to financial freedom for Auckland whānau
For Augustine Kopa, studying the Certificate in Money Management at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa was about creating a better future for her whānau.
Two generations, one reo Māori journey
When Melody Francis (Ngāti Kahungunu) saw the positive impact that studying te reo Māori had on her mum, she decided to jump on the waka and begin the journey alongside her.
