George McCarten

For University of Waikato graduate George McCarten (Ngāti Korokī Kahukura), earning his degree was all about timing.

The former Hamilton Boys’ High School student first enrolled at the University of Waikato in 2014 to study accounting, but left before completing his qualification.

After several years of physically demanding jobs, George decided the time was right to return to university and pursue a different future. 

“I wasn’t happy with the job I was doing, so I started looking into studying again. I wanted to use my brain rather than keep putting wear and tear on my body.” 

George returned to Waikato in 2023 to complete a Bachelor of Business, majoring in Professional Accounting. This time, he studied alongside full-time work, raising four children along with his partner Tiaana, who was also studying accounting.  

The ability to study most of his papers online made returning to university possible. 

“For older students like me who have a family and a full-time job, being able to study online is really convenient. I don’t think many people realise it’s even an option.” 

In March 2025, George joined KPMG through its junior accounting programme, which enabled him to work full-time while finishing his qualification part-time. The opportunity brought him closer to his goal of building an accounting career, but balancing work, study, and family life remained challenging. 

“When you sit in front of a computer all day, it can be difficult to go home and do the same thing again. Managing my time was probably the hardest part.” 

Support from his whānau helped the family navigate the financial and practical pressures of the past three years.

Now that he has finished his final papers, George is looking forward to graduating in October 2026 and becoming the first person in his family to earn a university degree. He hopes his achievement will show his children that working on the tools is not their only option. 

“Coming back and getting my degree might change the trajectory of what my kids want to do in the future. I want them to see there are other pathways available to us.” 

George is enjoying his role at KPMG and hopes to increasingly work with iwi and Māori organisations across different sectors.