PREFECT 2008, PROXIME ACCESSIT 2008
With New Zealand Post's support, Christina is the first
member of her immediate family to attend University. Her Principal
at Tamaki College regarded her "an out-going and personable young
woman, with a clear vision of where she is heading in the
future."
While at school Christina, as a prefect, participated fully in
school life. In addition, her extracurricular activities included
the Spirit of Adventure, playing for the West Cook Island Touch
team, acting in the University of Auckland production of 'Romeo and
Juliet' and involvement in awareness groups.
On the occasion of awarding Christina with a First Foundation
Scholarship Robyn Dalzell, Regional Sales and Services Manager at
New Zealand Post stated: "We were very impressed with Christina's
outgoing and bubbly personality, and her articulation of her goals
and aspirations. She has clearly worked hard to succeed."
Since then, Christina says that she has had wonderful support from
her New Zealand Post colleagues.
In 2009 Christina moved from Auckland to Wellington to pursue her
tertiary education, where she is studying Commerce at Victoria
University (Māori Business and Management) and completed her
degree December 2015 but she has already started post-grad honours
exploring generational diversity on Māori business boards, focusing
on age and gender diversity as well as indigenous entrepreneurship.
She is part of a Start Up that is developing a medical device that
locates veins and have just got to the stage of a working
prototype.
In 2015 Christina was awarded The Huihuinga Wahine Emerging
Leader Scholarship at The Huihunga Māori Womens' Leadership Summit.
She also decided to leave the finance world which she had been
working in for almost six years to pursue her passion, Māori
business and entrepreneurship. She has focused on her
Start Up, attended entrepreneurship conferences, networked,
and co-organised events that engaged with Māori organisations.