Success and influence becomes a way of life for Ngāruahine scholar

When Bee Weston-Jacobson thinks back to her life as a 13 year old, she almost can’t believe the dramatic difference in her attitude towards education.

“I left school in 3rd form (Year 9) when I was 13 and then I was just mucking around for a long time,” she says.

“I had no education, my reading and writing were terrible and then I had kids.”

It took another decade, but Bee wanted more for herself and her tamariki, so when she got her chance to get back into study as an adult she made the most of the opportunity.

Last year the now 35-year-old was the first recipient of Te Korowai o Ngāruahine’s joint scholarship with Parininihi Ki Waitōtara, receiving $2,500 to support her studies towards a Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching from Victoria University.

The bonus then for Bee was finding out that Victoria matched the iwi contribution, thanks to an agreement between Te Korowai and the university.

She says Victoria’s contribution went straight onto her student loan, while the Ngāruahine pūtea kept her afloat by helping with day-to-day living expenses while she based herself in Wellington to study.

Finding out she was the inaugral Ngāruahine scholarship recipient was a surprise and honour, says Bee.

Above: Bee Weston-Jacobson Ngāruahine / PKW Scholaship recipient

“I’m overwhelmed, that warms my heart.”

Bee had previously completed the Ngā Mana Whakairo a Toi: Bachelor of Māori Performing Arts degree through Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi in 2016, the only one of an original group of 20 students from Taranaki to finish.

“That was three years of hard mahi, going to wānanga in Auckland all the time, but I didn’t know then where it would take me,” says Bee.

Her success there made her realise she could do anything she put her mind to and it wasn’t long before she found her next pathway - using her natural ability to connect with tamariki to provide them with better educational experiences than she had herself.

“I’ve always had a passion for tamariki, I guess it was just from growing up in a big whānau, it’s in my nature to want to manaaki and awhi.”

Her hard work and success led to her securing a full-time job teaching tamariki at Kāponga Primary School this year, teaching a mixture of Years 2-4.

“It’s awesome being there for Māori tamariki in a kura auraki (mainstream school),” says Bee.

“Our kids at Kura are ok, they are well looked after, but there’s still a high percentage of our tamariki in kura auraki who need us too.”

She naturally incorporates a Te Ao Māori philosophy in her classroom, where manaakitanga, kotahitanga and awhi have become the normal mode of behaviour and feeling included is paramount.

Bee says the icing on the cake is being able to offer her teaching skills within the Ngāruahine rohe, but there’s more she wants to achieve.

She hopes to one day lift her reo levels enough to potentially teach within a Kura Kaupapa environment and eventually do further study at higher levels.

But at the moment she’s very happy to be role modelling success for the kids at school and her own tamariki, who have spent the past few years of their lives watching their Mum go from strength to strength.

“I’ve had to role model that and so I’ve also seen them grow in confidence and resilience too.”

Bee credits her husband Anaru for maintaining the ahi kaa with the whānau at home while she was away studying and she understands the challenges involved with going back into a learning environment as an adult.

Above: Bee Weston-Jacobson and husband Anaru Jacobson

But she also thinks it is an advantage to have the life skills and experience which some of her much younger classmates lacked. It helped confirm for her that when it comes to education, it’s never too late.

She hopes that her success might help inspire her others within her wider whānau, hapū and Ngāruahine iwi.

“I hope they think ‘gosh, if Aunty or cuzzy Bee can do it then I can too’,” she says and adds some additional

encouragement for future Ngāruahine scholars.

“Don’t give up on your dream, follow it. If I can do it then anyone can do it and so can you.”

Above: Bee Weston-Jacobson Ngāruahine / PKW Scholaship recipient

TE KOROWAI ISSUE 10 | 21