2010 Student Profile
TREDEGAR RANGIATEA HALL
Iwi: Ngati Tuwharetoa, Te Arawa |
| Degree: |
Bachelor of Social Sciences with Honours (Geography / Environmental Planning)
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| Career Aspirations: To work in resource and asset management for a Māori Trust |
Tredegar Hall weighed up the pros and cons but couldn’t decide where to study, so chose a less conventional way of making his final decision.
"I put my choice on the 2006 NPC final between Wellington and Waikato. Waikato were the victors so here I am in Hamilton".
Tredegar enrolled in Bachelor of Social Sciences majoring in Geography with a supporting subject in Te Reo Māori.
"I always enjoyed studying about the land and people's relation and connection to it, which is why I chose Geography. For my supporting subject I chose Māori because I wanted to strengthen my reo. I also believe that both are interrelated in terms of studying people and place."
This year he started his honours in Environmental Planning to better equip himself with the knowledge to effectively deal with issues of safeguarding conservation land from mining, and to learn how to successfully develop a better framework for Māori resource management.
"The step up from undergrad to honours is definitely a big one but after three years you learn to manage time more effectively", he says.
Iwi and local hapu grants, based on his academic achievements, have provided him with some extra financial support towards his study and accommodation costs.
Tredegar believes that going to University is more than just gaining a qualification; the people you meet and associate with are what build your character. He has taken up a range of activities outside of study including rugby, touch, volleyball, indoor netball and kapahaka. This year he also became the Māori mentor for Geography, a Waikato University Student Ambassador, a Sessional Assistant, and is the Co-President of the Waikato Māori Students Association.
"So far my experience at university has made me become more grown up and responsible for myself. There is no one else to blame if you do not succeed other than yourself", he says.
He recommends prospective students be assertive, study what interests them and take up as many opportunities as possible, but also be prepared to work hard.
"Anything worth having never comes easy".
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