I’m from Ngāti Hauā and Ngāti Tamaterā, Tainui is my waka. Born in Hamilton, I grew up in Manurewa, Auckland. Before Wintec, I worked as a Kaiāwhina at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, helping teach adults Te Reo Māori. I came to the realisation I needed to study when I was sitting at my desk, marking assessment papers. I felt too young to be seated behind a desk for hours on end. Mum had been a chef for the army. She told me that I was already good at cooking, so it would be wise to leverage my skills. So I took the step to study culinary arts at Wintec. I want to be a fully realised chef by the end of the course. My dream is to take over mum’s catering business and expand upon it after I graduate. Wintec has a big family vibe that I can connect with; it’s nice to meet new people and form new friendships. The curriculum is good, and the tutors are inspiring. If cooking is your passion, pursue what makes you happy and put maximum effort in. If there is one thing I could have done differently, it would have been starting this journey at Wintec earlier!