Twelve tauira from around the country were awarded Aotearoa Scholarship Trust (AST) scholarships last week.

Tauira and their whānau attended a special lunch at Mangakōtukutuku in Hamiltion, which was livestreamed to an audience of more than 890 people on the day on the Te Wānanga o Aotearoa Facebook page. By Monday, more than 2000 people had watched the video footage.

Each year, the Trust distributes funds designed to help tauira achieve their higher educational goals, with a particular focus on Māori and Pasifika educational excellence.
This year, a total of $50,500 worth of scholarships were awarded.

Trust chair Hone Paul says the recipients represented some of the best Māori and Pasifika students studying in areas such as te reo Māori, arts, social services and education.

Also announced at the ceremony was a new postgraduate Te Matatini Scholarship, valued at $20,000 for two tauira studying on the He Waka Hiringa/Masters in Applied Indigenous Knowledge programme. Details about how to apply for these scholarships will be announced shortly.

Look out for more stories on the winners of the AST scholarships in the coming weeks.

AST scholarship winners:

Hawea Maehe: He Waka Hiringa/Masters in Applied Indigenous Knowledge Scholarship.

Cammy Lauray Ball: Te Hiringa Award for Social Services and Education.

Sarah Kinred: Te Hiringa Scholarship for Social Services and Education.

Airini Forbes: Toi Award for a Diploma in Māori and Indigenous Arts.

Te Manawaroa Teinakore: He Waka Hiringa/Masters in Applied Indigenous Knowledge Scholarship.

Pene Campbell: The Rewi Panapa Memorial Scholarship.

Paula Rigby: The Diggeress Te Kanawa Memorial Scholarship.

Raewyn Moore: Te Hiringa Scholarship for Social Services and Education.

Warren Manuel: The Kāpuia Scholarship.

Christina Chase: Toi Scholarship for a Bachelor of Māori and Indigenous Art.

Emmy Grady: Te Hiringa Scholarship for Social Services and Education.

Shirley Matthews: The Tāne Taylor Memorial Scholarship.