Each year Pegasus Health invites students who identify as Māori, Pasifika or from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities, studying medicine, nursing or allied health to apply for the scholarships.
This year 23 students from across the health spectrum received the scholarships at an evening event held on Thursday 31 May 2018.
Vince Barry, CEO of Pegasus Health says “Pegasus is proud to offer these scholarships to such a hardworking group of health students. There is no doubt they will all contribute significantly to their respective fields and that patients will benefit. We are particularly aware of the long standing inequities in health for Māori, Pasifika and people from CALD communities. These scholarships are just one small way we can help support patients from these communities,” says Vince Barry.
Seven students received Māori Scholarships this year, Pacific scholarships were awarded to eight Pasifika health students and eight CALD students received scholarships.
Pegasus Health established the Māori scholarships in 2001 and followed up with Pacific scholarships in 2007. Scholarships for CALD health students became available in 2014. Each of the applicants had to write a 500-word essay about their backgrounds and their reasons for pursuing a career in health.
Read the full story here.
Full list of scholarship recipients:
Māori scholarships: Matthew Sollis (Medicine), Nikola Fraser (Medicine), Lucy Munro (Medicine), Kylie Walker (Nursing), Leigh McConchie (Nursing), Savanah Stewart (Medical Imaging), Talei Stuart-Eason (Social Work).
Pacific Scholarships: Mosana Evagelia (Medicine), Raina Tekii (Nursing), Marita Naoupu (Nursing), Jessica Tolo (Nursing), Faamele Tuipulotu (Psychology/ Education), Samsara Guillemot-Mene (Science/ Psychology), Alice Makaafi (Speech/ Language), Suli Tuitaupe (Health Sciences).
CALD scholarships: Kemintra Phongkaso (Nursing), Rakhi Kuttikattu Prakash (Nursing), Dilsa Davis (Nursing), Seungjun Lee (Nursing), Maria Zawari (Medical Imaging), Sirwan Mohamadi (Social Work), Phillipa Muza (Health Science), Zane Stankuna (Science Nutrition).