Two Maori students receive John McLeod Scholarships
Two Mori medical students received the prestigious John McLeod Scholarships this year for their demonstrated academic excellence, leadership qualities and commitment to Mori health.
Teresa Wall, Deputy Director-General, Mori Health, presented the awards to Maia Melbourne-Wilcox and Andrea Cross at a formal ceremony held recently in Wellington.
“Like Dr John McLeod, these two winning students both share a passion for the pursuit of excellence in their field,” Ms Wall said.
“They represent two of the many success stories that Mori have to tell. Both have committed to continuous learning, continuous striving and continuous engagement in their chosen fields of study,” she added.
Ms Melbourne-Wilcox (Tkhoe) has just completed her studies in medicine and surgery at the University of Auckland and is now working in Auckland Hospital. She was a highly committed member of the Mori and Pacific Admission Scheme at Auckland University, where she mentored and supported other Mori students. She has worked on health promotion with Mori patients and is currently doing research for Te Kupenga Hauora as an internship.
Ms Cross (Ngti Raukawa) has completed a BSc with honours and is currently studying medicine at the University of Otago. For the past two years, she has been a member of the Mori Medical Students Association, Te Oranga ki Otakou. She is currently involved with Ka Rikarika a Tne, the mentoring programme organised by Te Huka Matauraka, supporting fellow Mori students through their first year at university. She has worked on the East Cape to experience rural health from a Mori perspective as well as in public health.
“It’s a great honour to be a recipient of the John McLeod scholarships, given Dr McLeod’s commitment to Mori health,” Ms Melbourne-Wilcox said.
“This scholarship means a lot when you’re living away from home and studying. I’ve got a huge student loan so this scholarship is really helpful,” according to Ms Cross.
Both scholars have been recipients in previous years of the Ministry of Health’s Hauora Mori Scholarships programme, of which the John McLeod Scholarships are a part.
About 550 students apply each year for grants under the Hauora Mori Scholarships programme. The scholarships are awarded to help students continue their studies in a range of health areas, including nursing, pharmacy, medicine and dentistry.
This year, scholarship grants were awarded to 560 of the 755 students who applied for the Hauora Mori scholarships. Two of these Hauora Mori scholars were chosen to receive the John McLeod scholarships.
The scholarships are named after Dr John McLeod (Ng Puhi), who was well known nationally and internationally for his work in public health and his significant contribution toward improving Mori health. Twenty-five students have been awarded this scholarship since it was established in 2000 and many have gone to pursue careers in health.