Scholarship supports Pacific students in STEM

The Scholarship was established in 2022 and is available to Pacific students enrolled in their first year of undergraduate studies in a STEM degree. It is worth up to $56,000 over four years and includes mentorship from the Office of Pacific Success as well as Fonterra.

Fonterra Research and Development (R&D) Centre in Palmerston North is one of the largest dairy research facilities in the world and is home to more than 300 technologists, engineers and scientists. They offer excellent career paths in various disciplines and are keen to attract Pacific talent into the dairy industry.

Student Shalwi Kumar was the 2022 recipient of the scholarship. She spent her summer working at the Fonterra R&D Centre and says it was a great experience.

“The scholarship has been great, I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity. Being able to work in the lab at Fonterra showed me a glimpse of what my future could be, and I absolutely loved it. The skills and knowledge I have learnt from the lab has made it easier for me to understand lab work at Massey in terms of skills, precision and troubleshooting.

“On a day-to-day basis I was growing bacteria and identifying the different types of bacteria that was growing in different reuse water types.”

Shalwi is studying molecular cell biology and has aspirations to work in research labs involved with cancer and other diseases.

Telson Liuvaie, who was Palmerston North Boys’ High School’s first Pacific head boy in 2022, was awarded the scholarship this year. He is now studying towards a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours, something that he had always expressed an interest in pursuing after high school.

Telson’s father Sonny Liuvaie says the internship component of the scholarship will give Telson exposure to the industry that will be beneficial for his studies.

“The mentoring aspect of the scholarship will enable him to receive guidance from an industry expert as he traverses through his studies. I think for Telson, being the recipient of a scholarship from a reputable entity like Fonterra has really helped in boosting his confidence. Having a career pathway mapped out is beneficial for him, whether it is further studies or a career at Fonterra.”

While always interested in engineering, Telson was unsure about his specialisation, but says the scholarship helped guide him towards a major in chemical and bioprocess engineering.

Another key aspect of the scholarship is the student being actively engaged in the community. Telson is a graduate of the Amanaki STEM academy and now serves the academy as a mentor, which he also does for the Te Fatu O Te Pasifika Learning Hub. He is also a member of the Manawatū Rugby Academy, playing in the Manawatū U19 rugby team.

Dean Pacific Professor Palatasa (Tasa) Havea says the scholarship is one of the ways the Pacific Office tries to encourage Pacific people into STEM careers.

“These students will have the option of doing further studies after their first degree of working for Fonterra or doing postgraduate studies. We expect to recruit one scholarship for each of the next two years and hopefully keep four scholars in the pipeline. We are so grateful for the help provided by Fonterra.”