Season 3 | The reality of studying and graduating abroad.

“There were a lot of emotions going through my head”.
Irene Tawa is the first person in her whānau to graduate from university and managed to do it abroad, at Brigham Young University in Hawai’i.
The Māori graduate recently finished her degree in Pacific studies and has been working at the Polynesian Cultural Center - or PCC - to stay connected to her culture.
The PCC plays an important role for BYU students like Irene, helping provide work and a sense of cultural connection.
For Irene, that connection was especially important as her mother passed away before she could graduate. In season 3, Irene describes that although she lives thousands of kilometres away from home now, she says that studying and seeing the world has been the best thing for her.
“Know that there are bigger and brighter things in the world”.
Ohinga is a Māori-focused digital series for Rangatahi, exploring current affairs and events through their lens in Aotearoa and beyond. Join the conversation on our TikTok account @ohinga_nz or find us on Instagram @ohinganz.
#ohinganz #aotearoa #newzealand #indigenous #newzealand #maoriculture #maori #hawaii #studyingabroad