Tuakana – Teina Mentorship Programme Drives Academic Success

Six ngā ākonga wāhine Māori have graduated from Tuakana – Teina, a mentoring programme supporting academic success by building participants' confidence and skills.

Throughout the year, students were paired with ngā kaimahi wāhine Māori who provided tailored mentoring support. The teina (mentees) also completed a range of leadership activities to advance their skill sets and grow self-assurance.

One of programme's tuakana (mentors) this year was Mel Katu, Māori Success Manager. Mel mentored two students, Jordyn Chase and Kat Stevens, both of whom have achieved great success as part of Tuakana – Teina.

Mel was approached to be a mentor by Careers and Employability, the Toi Ohomai team behind Tuakana - Teina. Mel saw it as great a way to give back, having benefited from inspiring and influential mentors throughout her own career.

"It's rewarding to help others navigate their paths too," Mel says.

"I've had some awesome mentors who've helped me along the way, so it's important to pay it forward. I actually completed my Masters in Mentoring, and I wanted to use my experience to help others starting out on their journey."

With the help of Mel, Jordyn - who is a first year Bachelor of Creative Industries student - connected with the local arts community and attended arts events around Matariki and Maramataka in Tauranga. She also created a logo for the Tuakana – Teina programme. 

Kat, who has just completed her second year of nursing, joined a nursing council leadership group, and now represents 450 Toi Ohomai nursing ākonga as a national student unit representative within the New Zealand Nurses Organisation. In 2025, Kat will return to Toi Ohomai to complete her nursing degree, and she hopes to mentor a new student as well.   

Mel emphasised how Tuakana – Teina has provided a formal structure for mentoring to take place. She believes this has been key to the success of the programme.

"Tuakana - Teina was co-designed by kaimahi and ākonga to ensure an authentic for Māori, by Māori approach, honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The Toi Ohomai values of Whanaungatanga, Toitūtanga Manaakitanga and Kotahitanga are embedded in the programme, setting the foundations for how best to support our mentees," she says.

This year's Tuakana – Teina graduates have all achieved personal goals and learnt new skills:

• Naidene Myers, who is studying a Bachelor of Applied Information Technology, volunteered at Digital Native Academy teaching JavaScript basics to rangatahi (young people). Her Tuakana – Teina leadership activities included running a Huihuinga Hapori - Community Connect activity and organising the Tuakana – Teina graduation ceremony. Naidene has been successful in gaining a Toi Ki Tua summer internship for 2024/2025 at Fruition Horticulture.
• Daniele Savage volunteered her time to work with the Events team during Semester 2 O-Week, gaining relevant industry experience before graduation. She is expecting a pēpi (baby) soon, and plans to spend summer with whānau and friends in the lead-up to baby's arrival.
• Lukah Rowling took part in a leadership in Aotearoa sports class, and recently was successful in gaining a scholarship to teach te reo Māori as a tuakana (mentor). She is considering returning to Toi Ohomai in 2025 to complete a New Zealand Diploma in Wellness and Relaxation Massage (Level 5).
• Harlee Fisher put together a vision board presentation, outlining her future aspirations and courageously stepping out of her comfort zone by sharing it with her peers through public speaking.

Tuakana – Teina was established under the leadership of Susie Borell and Sky Scott from the Toi Ohomai Careers and Employability team. Careers and Employability Facilitator, Chanel Coromandel; Team Leader – Data Centre and Academic Services, Lyn Smith and Senior Accessibility Facilitator, Michelle Te Moana also mentored ākonga.

Chanel Coromandel says, she was privileged to mentor two amazing wāhine, Naidene and Harlee.

"Both wāhine were confident in themselves, yet uncertain about the opportunities that lay ahead after their studies. I enjoyed listening to these wāhine, realising that this was a space I had once been in, but hadn't had the opportunity to experience a programme like Tuakana - Teina. I commend Naidene and Harlee for taking the initiative to be a part of this programme. It demonstrates leadership in balancing extracurricular activities, a job, full-time study, and their home lives. I am proud of the mahi these wāhine have achieved," Chanel says.

Lyn Smith, who mentored Danielle and Lukah, says she also wanted to pay it forward having received invaluable mentoring herself throughout her career.

"I've received mentoring myself and found it inspiring. I really appreciated those who were willing to take some time out from their own busy schedules to share their mātauranga, and help me. I wanted to pay that forward, and also as a māma of four kotiro (girls) I wanted to offer some tautoko (support) to Danielle and Lukah in any way I could… Our approach was to wānanga (discuss) freely and to be guided by our uara (values). Lots of kaupapa (ideas / topics) were discussed... the excitement of studying, their why, overcoming challenges and hauora (wellbeing). Danielle and Lukah did amazingly well and now have even more tools to add to their kete. We are very fortunate they chose us to be a part of their journey. They should be so proud of themselves and everything they have achieved so far!" says Lyn.

Congratulations to our remarkable Tuakana – Teina graduates for 2024! We commend your hard mahi, as well as the efforts of your mentors who have guided you along the way.