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Thursday, 21 December 2017

The School of Pharmacy saw nine Māori tauira (students) graduate this year, initiating the first, whānau (family) hui (gathering), prior to the Health Science Māori Graduation Function and the School of Pharmacy Graduation Function on Friday 8th December 2017.

Associate Dean Māori of the School of Pharmacy, Leanne Te Karu, welcomed whānau who had travelled from as far afield as Northland and acknowledged their contribution to the outcome of graduation. Further she challenged the tauira to consider what it was to be a Māori clinician.

School Dean, Professor Carlo Marra, encouraged the Pharmacy graduates to be innovative and to do things that will push the limits, to “push the boundaries of our practice and keep moving things forward”.

President of Te Puna Kaitaka (Māori Pharmacy Students Association), Hemi McKechnie's family travelled from Whangarei to help celebrate this momentous occasion. “I'm really excited (to be graduating,)” said Hemi.

“I'm really looking forward it, because I know what I'm getting into,” says Honours graduate, Anja Mulder. After graduating in Fine Arts, Anja moved and lived in China before returning to New Zealand and finding work in a pharmacy. This sparked her interest in healthcare and, after an unsuccessful attempt at finding a technician internship, Anja enrolled in her undergraduate degree at Otago. Anja is looking forward to her internship in Napier next year.

Congratulations to all of our Māori graduating students of 2017.

83 Maori graduating students with Leanne Te Karu 418

12 Ellery with whanau 418
Graduate Ellery Fruean and his wife Cami, and children Izaak (9), Porter (4), and Tahli (2).


Article written for the School of Pharmacy newsletter, Volume 2 Issue 3

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