Samaria Mason

Samaria Mason (Te Rarawa Te Arawa) never imagined that one day she’d be working for Manta5 – an exciting New Zealand start-up company that created the world’s first hydrofoil water e-bike.

“My job is so far from what I expected to be doing after uni. I’ve been given this amazing opportunity to design a system and develop strategies for a new start-up. I'm in at the deep-end, constantly learning and loving every second of it.”

An aspiring young Māori leader, Samaria credits the diverse experiences she enjoyed at Waikato University for developing the teamwork and leadership skills she puts to use every day in her job.

“I know that I will be able to use my business degree from Waikato to work anywhere in the world, and that I will always be learning.”

As well as excelling in her studies, Samaria was actively involved in many student organisations, including the Māori management network Te Ranga Ngaku, and the Waikato Management School Students' Association. She also served as a Māori student mentor, and was a tutor in strategic management.

Originally interested in advertising and marketing, it wasn’t until she had an insightful conversation with a trusted lecturer that she realised where her passions lay and switched her majors to supply chain management and strategic management.

After completing a Bachelor of Management Studies with First Class Honours, she did a Graduate Certificate in Electronic Commerce (Digital Business).

Samaria believes her strong entrepreneurial streak will help guide her career decisions in the future. “I'm looking forward to seeing how my first years as a graduate will build on the strong foundation the university gave me, and what role my values will play as I strive to be a young female Māori leader.”