Caleb and I have had some fantastic experiences whilst travelling, such as visiting Edinburgh Castle, Walkers shortbread factory, and the city of London where we were hosted by our outstanding tour guide and former Otaki Scholar, Sean Press, along with Mr. George Fergusson, Everiss Scholarship Trustee. 

It has been such a privilege to share my Māori & Kiwi culture with the pupils at the Robert Gordon’s College (RGC), meet new people and sample Scottish culture including Haggis, which was surprisingly tasty given its contents. I was eager to meet up with the GAIL group once again and can say I was not disappointed (8 students who travelled to NZ last year to attend a schools conference).  It was a pleasure to stay with my host family, the Haslers, as they have shown me true qualities of Scots people and their love of hosting people.  I’ve also been blessed in many other ways such as being generously looked after by RGC, and meeting new people.

Overall, although the scenery, Scottish culture, and history has been magnificent and eye opening, I feel that the people I both met or reconnected with on this trip have made Scotland a magnet for myself to come back to. I cannot wait to see everybody once again! This can be described simply by the whakatauki, “He aha te mea nui o te ao, he tangata, he tangata he tangata”.

I strongly encourage everybody at the college to aim to apply for the Ngā Ringawhero role and to take the advice that I’ve learnt in my role as kākākura, that it’s not always about the academic achievements, and shiny badges, but instead how you hold and conduct yourself. You may not be the most academically gifted, the most athletic, or even the most social person,  but if you believe in yourself and set your mind to it, you can achieve anything. Being in a leadership role to allow you to apply for this scholarship could be life changing.

Once again a big thank you to Ōtaki College and the Everiss Trust for this amazing experience which I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life. 

Written by Hannah Thompson