Turning experience into strength with cultural and scholarship support

Kameta’s drive to become a social worker comes from her experience of growing up in care, as well as her experience becoming a caregiver herself to her toddler sister at just nineteen years old.

“I learned that it only takes one stable person to completely change the trajectory of someone’s life. I want to be that positive person for someone.”

Her experience at NMIT has been supported throughout by the Māori learner support team, Te(external link) Puna Manaaki(external link).

"They’ve been with me from the very beginning," Kameta says. "They supported me in applying to the programme.”

The team’s support continued when classes commenced and Kameta found herself confronted by all that she had been trying to run away from. 

“In social work, we all have the heart for this, but in order to do this work we need to take care of ourselves first,” Kameta says. “It was really confronting for me to discover that what had felt normal to me, wasn’t normal, and other people my age weren’t living in constant survival mode. But Te Puna Manaaki were amazing— absolutely amazing. I would go to them at my lowest and they always uplifted me.”

When she lost several loved ones in quick succession and her sister was reunified with family, Kameta decided to step away from her degree to process her grief and take steps toward healing. 

“I travelled, I really processed what I had been through, and I worked on finding myself,” Kameta says. “When I came back everyone was so happy and supportive of me continuing my degree.”

To help make her transition back to study a smooth one, the team of Kaimanaaki guided Kameta through the scholarship application process. In 2025 she was awarded a scholarship from the Nelson Soroptimist Education Trust.(external link) 

This scholarship, awarded annually to up to 20 female students in the Top of the South, recognises women who excel in their tertiary studies and eases financial pressures so they can focus on their goals.

“The scholarship has kept me above water,” Kameta says. “I wouldn’t have been able to put all my focus back into volunteering and study without it. I am very grateful to have been chosen.”

Her education has already opened doors. In addition to her studies, Kameta works with Oranga Tamariki as a Resource Worker, where her lived experience and unique insights bring immense value to the organisation. 

In the future, Kameta hopes to continue working to protect children, gaining experience that will help her influence social policies for even greater impact.

“My original goal in social work was to work directly with children, and while I truly love it, I’ve realised that in the future the kind of change I want to make is made in policy."

Outside of her studies and work, Kameta finds joy on the stage. “Musical theatre, singing, songwriting — being on stage is my main form of self-care.” She is currently looking forward to performing with Nelson Musical Theatre in a punk rock musical. 

Kameta encourages other students to apply for scholarships and seek support during the application process. “Scholarships can really make a difference. It’s totally worth applying and seeing what can happen.”