Karena Waru: A community behind the achievement

When Karena Waru, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, Te Hika a Papauma, walked across the graduation stage, the moment was about more than finishing a Bachelor of Science in Zoology. What stood out most was the people who had helped her get there, all there to celebrate alongside her.
 
“My highlight definitely is seeing everyone’s whānau. I think all of us are here because of our whānau, so it’s good to celebrate them too, to have them here celebrating with us,” she says. 
 
Raised in Porirua, Karena’s academic journey wasn’t a straight line. She initially studied at Otago, enjoying what she laughs was “a good student life,” before transferring to Massey University in the final year of her bachelor’s degree.
 
At one point, she wasn’t even sure she would be able to finish her degree.
 
That changed when she connected with the team at Te Rau Tauawhi Māori Student Centre. From helping her choose courses to guiding her through scholarship applications, the support made all the difference.
 
“After meeting Gary and Eugene, they’ve been helping me ever since,” she says. “They’ve basically helped me get to here: picking my courses, making sure I was applying for scholarships, all of that. The lecturers, the coordinators, everybody’s just so helpful and supportive. They really want people to pass, which is always a good thing.”
 
For Karena, graduation was also a powerful reminder that no one succeeds alone.
 
“It’s cool to see that everybody has a community behind them. To see that community get up, tautoko each other, and support one another. Seeing people’s villages, seeing who raised them, it’s amazing.”
 
Now officially a graduate, Karena isn’t slowing down. She’s already started a Master of Zoology at Massey. 
 
While continuing her studies, Karena also works with rangatahi, supporting Māori students into STEM pathways by working in high schools.
 
However, balancing work, study and life isn’t always easy, but she’s learned the importance of asking for help.
 
“It’s definitely hard. But if you have the right people keeping you accountable and supporting you, it becomes manageable. “

Don’t try to do it on your own. Find the right mentors, put the right people around you, and you’ll be fine,” she adds. 
 
Her advice to future students is honest: “Go to your lectures. Have fun, make the right friends, don’t get too torn up over assignments, just get on with it. Ask the right questions, and you’ll be okay.”