Anizma-Jae’s Trip to America

This year I have graduated Hillcrest High School as a Year 13. I completed my schooling years 9 – 13 in 4 years. He uri au noo Ngai Tuuhoe me Ngai Tahu, I am passionate about including my Maaori culture in my successes. I enjoy playing and spectating sports, being outdoors, travelling, learning new things and time with loved ones.

In my senior years 11 – 13 once a week I would attend the PUUHORO STEMM programme. Through this nationwide programme year 13 students were given the opportunity to apply to attend the Honeywell Leadership Camp in Hunstville, Alabama, USA. I was 1 of 5 throughout Aotearoa selected to attend. This was the first time in history Puuhoro sent a roopu to the Leadership Camp and first time Rangatahi Maaori attended this programme.

I travelled from Kirikiriroa to Taamaki Makaurau, Aotearoa where as a roopu we flew to Houston, Texas, USA then boarded a connecting flight to Huntsville, Alabama, USA where we stayed for a week at the U.S Space & Rocket Centre. Over the 9 days we attended class lessons, activities and challenges working together as a team in outdoor exercises to build teamwork and leadership qualities to solve complex problems using STEMM concepts and critical thinking, learning to train like an astronaut using authentic simulators, and embark on our own simulated space mission to the International Space Station, the Moon, and Mars. We used engineering skills to build our own team rocket to deploy at the end of the week. I was selected within my team to be the commander of the rocket ship simulation. Learning how real rocket pilots fly their air crafts and utilising the knowledge from lessons at the start of the week remembering the right buttons to press as well as learning key space commander phrases.

My highlights over the 9 days were first and foremost being immersed in many different cultures from all over te ao. Meeting, learning and being inspired alongside around 120 youth from all over the world really was amazing. I felt immense pride being recognised for representing our little country with mana, wairua, and excellence, receiving awards for initially graduating the leadership programme, an Excellence in Critical Thinking Award and an Outstanding Team Award with my team, Team Focus. Lastly, I was given the pleasure to present a Toki (Taonga) to a fellow youth individual with whom I felt I formed the deepest connection with throughout the week. This was a powerful moment, as it allowed me to share a piece of our identity, showcasing the beauty and strength of our Maaori culture through aroha. It was a significant reminder of how unique and special our values are as Maaori, and how they resonate even in a global context.

Advice I heard from a guest speaker at my intermediate sporting awards that has really stuck with me to this day is ‘What you do with disappointment is just as important as what you do with success.’ Every closed door, every not achieved, every time you miss out on a recognition award you really feel you gave your all for and didn’t get, remember to acknowledge you are disappointed because you care and to use that disappointment to motivate you. From our Hillcrest High RAPID Values I feel ‘P’ resonates with this for me, “Mahia te mahi – Persevere – & Never give up”