Young Maori leaders of the future were recognised at the 2015 Mana Pounamu Young Achievers' Awards ceremony in Dunedin recently.
The awards were established in 2001, the Year of Mana Pounamu, to celebrate the success and achievement of young Maori, encourage them to participate in tertiary study, identify leadership potential, and provide positive role models to Maori youth.
Families and supporters of the award recipients packed the University of Otago College of Education auditorium for the ceremony.
All senior Mana Pounamu Award winners received scholarships to study at Otago Polytechnic.
Hands on at Otago Scholarships were also awarded to Keegan McCusker, Hayley Bungard, Emma Samuels, Nicholas Griffen and Emma Alcock.
The Mana Pounamu Maori Award was presented to Tyrin Tutaki and the ODT English Award to Jacobi Kohu-Morris.
Mana Pounamu Award winners for 2015 were: Kaya Reese (junior) and Erena Russell-Harris (senior), Bayfield High School; Bridget Scott (junior) and Shania Ann Dickson (senior), Columba College; Keegan McCusker (junior) and Sophie Warhurst (senior), Cromwell College; Tyla O'Neill (junior) and Canaan Napier (senior), Dunstan High School; Hayley Bungard (junior) and Ellis Light (senior), East Otago High School; Reon Lowery (junior) and Joshua Timu (senior), John McGlashan College); Rebekah Wairau (junior) and Nathaniel Brown (senior), Kaikorai Valley College; Tessa Barlow (junior) and Hanna Gallaher (senior), Kavanagh College; D'Angelo Wade (junior) and Tyrin Tutaki (senior), King's High School; Emma Samuels (junior) and Jacobi Kohu-Morris (senior), Logan Park High School; Ayeasha Tapatu (junior), Maniototo Area School; Nicholas Griffen (junior) and Tamati Karetu-Taylor (senior), Otago Boys' High School; Christie Totoro-Haua (junior) and Zoe Liddell (senior), Otago Girls' High School; Brooklyn Engelken-Jones (junior) and Nadia Tutbury (senior), Queen's High School; Luc Thomson (junior) and Brittany Race (senior), South Otago High School; Emma Alcock (junior) and Irie Hanara Paremokai Simpson (senior), St Hilda's Collegiate; Reuben Mihaere (junior) and Quin Paterson (senior), St Kevin's College; Riana Haua (junior) and Renata Kerr (senior), Taieri College; Joseph Pepper (junior) and Rowan Blackbourn (senior), Tokomairiro High School; Dallas Mahuika (senior), Waitaki Boys' High School; Cheyenne Coels (junior) and Charmaine McLennan (senior), Waitaki Girls' High School; Louie Tatom-Cross (junior) and Victoria Boult (senior), Wakatipu High School.
