The vocal audience at a packed Dunedin Teachers College auditorium celebrated young Maori leaders at the Manu Pounamu Young Achievers' Awards on Friday night.
More than 40 awards and scholarships were presented to talented Maori youth from throughout Otago. As the awards were presented, the schools celebrated their pupils with haka.
"These awards celebrate the young Maori achievers in Otago secondary schools," University of Otago Maori development deputy director Janine Kapa said.
Otago Polytechnic chief executive Phil Ker said the calibre of the pupils showed the future was in good hands.
"We often forget how much success and achievement we have in our midst," he said.
"We have a very deep pool of successful young people, who will be the leaders of tomorrow." Two new awards were introduced for year 13 pupils this year. The Otago Daily Times Award for Excellence in English to Jessica Cairns (Catlins Area School) and the University of Otago Commitment to Te Reo Maori Award to Ranui Ellison (Queen's High School) and Jeremy Rei (Otago Boys' High School).
The AgResearch Hands-on Science recipients were Sian Horn (Waitaki Girls' High School), Isabella Shields (St Hilda's Collegiate School) and Tamahi Phillips (Tokomairiro High School).
All year 13 Mana Pounamu Award recipients also received an Otago Polytechnic scholarship.
The 2012 Manu Pounamu Young Achievers' Award recipients were:
Ruby Albert (Maniototo Area School), Renata Kerr and Rianna Palmer (Taieri College), Brittany Race and Chanelle Ferguson (South Otago High School), Stacey Whitu and Tahlia Moir (Roxburgh Area School), Whina Pomana (Blue Mountain College), Jacobi Kohu-Morris and Zoe Hayes (Logan Park High School), Aniwaniwa Kewene-Edwards and Keanu Ager (King's High School), Gabriella Perry and Emma Griffin (Columba College), Mitchell Devon (Cromwell College), Sian Horn (Waitaki Girls' High School), Isabella Shields and Lydia Sizemore (St Hilda's Collegiate School), Shilo Te Kaahui and Claudia Gillies (Dunstan High School), Hanna O'Rourke-Gallaher and Adam Gorrie (Kavanagh College), Oliver Palmer-Hargreaves and Jeremy Rei (Otago Boys' High School), Talbert Rowe and Mitchell Thompson-Holloway (Waitaki Boys' High School), Merekite Waahitapu and Hannah Mihaere (St Kevin's College), Madyson Witehira and Mikara Hunter (East Otago High School), Emily Severne and Lani Hollamby (Bayfield High School), Victoria Boult and Tomika Terry (Wakatipu High School), Michael Ellison (John McGlashan College), Jessica Cairns (Catlins Area School), Simone Arbuckle and Georgia-Rae Flack (Otago Girls' High School), Matawai Uiti-Me Nicolls and Ranui Ellison (Queen's High School), Ruby Reddington (Mount Aspiring College), Michael Tuari and Tamahi Phillips (Tokomairiro High School).
