From Ruakituri School to Rocket Lab

Tony has his mother to thank for landing the $20,000 Rocket Lab scholarship that is now helping fund his first year of electrical engineering studies at the University of Canterbury.

“My mum’s always been in the know about everything going on in Wairoa. Really early last year, she told me I should apply for the Rocket Lab scholarship,” he says.

He took her advice and became the ninth recipient of Rocket Lab’s annual award.

The scholarship covers a full year of study fees for one outstanding student from the Māhia or wider Wairoa district. It also pairs the recipient with a Rocket Lab mentor, offering rare one-on-one access to a world-leading space and engineering expert.

For Tony, that mentorship is one of the most exciting parts. Now a few months into his degree, he’s very grateful to be learning directly from someone working inside Rocket Lab.

“Being able to ask questions and get real-world answers is huge,” he says.

Home-grown talent

The Rocket Lab scholarship exists to grow the next generation of home-grown science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) talent, especially for young people from remote communities who don’t always have easy access to opportunities in science and engineering.

Tony, his mother Katie, and Tony’s former teacher from Ruakituri School, Diana King.

Tony’s story is a perfect example. His childhood was shaped in Ruakituri where he was raised on a beef farm by his parents, Katie and Daniel, alongside his two younger brothers.

The small settlement sits about half an hour north of Wairoa, surrounded by rugged hills and the trout-filled Ruakituri River.

“It’s a close-knit place. Everyone knows everyone,” says Tony.

His early education took place at Ruakituri School, where the roll rarely reached double digits.

“It meant almost one-on-one learning,” says Tony. “Mrs (Diana) King was one of the best teachers I’ve ever met. She helped me during my whole primary school career by figuring out how I learn and what works for me."

Branching out

Aged 13, Tony left home to board at Scinde House while attending Napier Boys’ High School. He returned home every school holiday, but the shift from a tiny rural school to a large secondary school was huge.

Electrical engineering wasn’t yet on his radar, but the seeds were there.

“I’d always been interested in engineering,” he says. “Once I got into high school and learned about the different branches, electrical engineering just fascinated me. The physics behind it is fun.”

Tony accelerated early, completing NCEA Level 1 in Year 10, then finishing Level 3 calculus and physics in Year 12. That freed up his final year for chemistry, accounting and agriculture.

He found accounting easy, and agriculture made sense to him because it was what he grew up with.

Shaped by whakapapa

Tony’s whakapapa is central to who he is. He affiliates to Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Kahungunu ki te Wairoa and Ngāti Porou.

Tony and his parents, Katie and Daniel

“When I was little, I used to go to the marae heaps for family gatherings and tangi. I’m not amazing at speaking Māori, but I can pick up phrases.”

His connections to Erepēti and Te Reinga marae, and to the wider Ruakituri and Māhia region, have shaped his sense of belonging.

“It’s definitely helped shape my identity and built that sense of community. My marae and my region are huge parts of who I am. I love Māhia.”

During his time at Napier Boys’, Tony was selected for the Māori Young Achievers Programme, a group of ākonga from across Aotearoa who had never met before. The group travelled on a fully funded week-long trip to Singapore, visiting architectural sites, Fonterra facilities, and health science labs where they took part in food research.

“It was one of the longest but shortest weeks of my life,” says Tony. “We did so much, but it still didn’t feel like enough time.”

Forging his own path

Tony is quick to acknowledge the adults who have helped shape him alongside his whānau. Diana King at Ruakituri School is one. The other is Ash Johnson, who is the head of boarding at Scinde House.

"He's one of the most onto-it people I've ever met," says Tony. "He’s always busy but always has everybody’s backs. He’s the guy you go to if you need help."

Ash has led Scinde House for almost a decade, supporting around 200 boarders each year with a team of boarding staff. They teach ākonga everything from how to tie a tie, jump start a car and academic choices.

“This is the boarders’ home away from home,” says Ash, who lives on site with his own family. “We’re looking after other people’s children, and we want to give them the best experience.”

“Hand up and not hand out” is one of the phrases Ash repeats on a regular basis to the boarders at Napier Boys’ High School.

Rocket Lab scholarship winner and former Napier Boys’ High School student Tony.

He says Tony stood out early.

“He was always his own man,” says Ash. “Tony wasn’t easily persuaded by peers and was prepared to make his own decisions, and that’s quite unusual from teens. I mean, we all go through that time where peers are more important in our lives. Tony has always been a very hard worker with a great sense of humour who doesn’t take himself too seriously.

“He’s very deserving of this scholarship. We’re all very proud of him at Napier Boys’.”

A future of opportunities

Tony is now living at University Hall in Ōtautahi with friends he made during his years at Napier Boys’.

“It’s cool,” he says.

He’s still figuring out exactly where electrical engineering will take him.

“I’m going to learn on the job. I like the look of it, but I don’t know too many jobs that have to do with it yet.”

Tony is stepping into a field with endless possibilities. Electrical engineers work across telecommunications, automotive design, aerospace, consumer electronics and more by designing and developing the technologies that power homes, businesses and industries.

For now, Tony is focused on settling into university life, staying connected to home and making the most of the Rocket Lab mentorship that lies ahead.

“It’s a massive opportunity,” he says. “I’m really grateful.”