Make the most of your Prime Minister’s Scholarship experience
Nakita Wiperi recently travelled to Latin America on an individual Prime Minister’s Scholarship. She studied Spanish Language in Colombia and indigenous integration with the Mayan tribe in Mexico. Nakita shares her tips for applying and how to make the most out of living and learning abroad.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
Mauri ora ki a koutou katoa,
Ko Nakita Wiperi toku ingoa. He uri tenei no Ngati Kahungunu ki te Wairoa, ki Wairarapa, Ngati Rakai Paaka, me Nga Puhi hoki.
I recently graduated from the University of Waikato with a Bachelor of Law, I’m now completing the Professionals programme with the College of Law to become a Barrister of the New Zealand High Court.
What made you apply for the scholarship and what was the application process like?
I applied for the scholarship to extend my understanding of the history of indigenous integration in the world.
Te Hononga a Kiwa, a business programme at The University of Waikato, provided an awareness of Māori capability from a global perspective, and introduced me to indigenous integration. When the programme finished, I wanted to prove to myself that being Māori was indeed a superpower!
I applied with a two-minute video about the love I have for sharing our culture and an idea of the courses I wanted to do. Within three months of applying, I was accepted and on my way to Colombia.
What was a typical day like?
On a typical day at Blink Spanish School breakfast was between 7.00am-9.00am, normally scrambled eggs, muesli and yoghurt. There were also many eateries nearby with affordable kai to remind me of home.
We then had classes from 9.00am-12.30pm on grammar and sentence structures. After lunch there were masterclasses between 2.00pm-5.00pm to understand other important aspects of the language.
Then, there’d be a social outing organised by the school. This was a perfect way to meet new friends, create memories and get familiar with your surroundings.
What were the highlights of your experience?
Meeting new people, sharing stories and connecting was a highlight. Being female, and a first-time solo traveller meant there was a lot of unknown territory. The brave solo travellers I met from around the world helped me see the joys and be open minded.
What were the challenges of adjusting to your time abroad? How did you overcome them?
I was nervous transiting between countries and getting to and from the airport. I planned my airport shuttle journeys ahead with my hotel to ensure everything went smoothly.
Communication was another challenge, I had no prior knowledge of Spanish. Google Translate, the Spanish dictionary and Google Maps became my best friends.
Any tips for future applicants on the application process?
Apply your creative skills to this application. The video was my favourite part, it captured the happiness I felt about my studies, whereas the written focused on my dedication to discover. Use your imagination, trust your gut, and most importantly APPLY!
Advice for future awardees on making the most of the experience learning and living overseas?
Be unapologetically yourself and proud to be from Aotearoa. It was comforting speaking positively about Aotearoa in the world. Not only did it inform people of who we are and what we are about, it also created humility within me to be open minded to other ways of living.