A whānau representative for a Lincoln University Māori development scholarship visited campus recently to pay tribute to this year’s two standout recipients.
The Sir Turi Carroll Centennial Scholarship celebrates the life of a former student who attended Canterbury Agriculture College (now Lincoln University) from 1910-1912.
Born in Wairoa in 1890, Sir Turi made many achievements in the field of Māori development, including setting up farming schemes for Māori and raising the standard of farming in the Wairoa area.
His great-grandson, Tony Paku, said he was impressed by the calibre of scholarship entrants this year but eventually chose second-year students, Alix Munn and Maui Duley, due to the academic aptitude they had shown in their studies so far.
“All the applications we received were excellent, so it was really tough to choose. We were happy to be able to offer two this year.”
Alix Munn, from Hunterville in Manawatu, is a Bachelor of Land and Property Management (Rural) student who chose Lincoln due to its unique rural specialisation in the property field.
“I come from a farming background, so it seemed like a natural choice for a career,” she said. “Mum and Dad have heaps of properties and run a sheep and beef farm and forestry block, so I want to get into rural valuation.”
Alix said she particularly enjoyed the work placement associated with the Lincoln degree, as it allowed her to form connections with potential employers and put her studies into practice.
The second scholarship recipient, Maui Duley, is a Bachelor of Science student, majoring in biochemistry. He’d eventually like to become a researcher and assist with the restoration of native plants, “or any other kind of restoration”.
Originally from Southland, Maui chose to attend Lincoln because of the “good vibes” he experienced when he visited the campus.
“I was also attracted to the type of science degree offered at Lincoln, as it provides a background in agriculture, basic sciences and ecology,” he said.
Mr Paku said the scholarships focus on the development of the “whole person”.
“It’s not just academic, but personal and cultural. The students and their whānau are very important,” he said.
Dione Payne, Lincoln’s Kaiarāhi Māori Director, said the university was fortunate to enjoy a strong connection with Sir Turi’s whānau.
“It’s not often that such a small university can be associated with a whānau that has such a legacy.
“Lincoln students are unique in that they come to study very specific degrees,” she said. “We don’t offer anything generic.
"When you’re able to offer a scholarship to unique students in a unique place, you know you’ll end up with something special.”
