By Waitī Delaney

Ko te tihi me te mano, kia ora rā.

Kia ora, everyone, my name is Waitī a third-year student (studying Te Reo Māori and Education and Society Studies) here at the University of Waikato, and I am super excited to share a bit about my upcoming exchange!

Over the Christmas break, I was looking into different scholarships available at Waikato when I stumbled upon the Overseas Exchange scholarships. This sent me down a rabbit hole of exploring the different exchange opportunities on offer. Exchange wasn’t something I had considered before, but things just kind of fell into place – I had been saving for overseas travel after university, I had job contracts wrapping up mid-year, and I only had electives left in my degree. The more and more I looked into it, the greater I fell in love with the idea.

My heart was truly set when I stumbled upon the University of Stirling, Scotland. The campus itself sprawls across a lush landscape, and the town of Stirling, known as the heart of Scotland, is sandwiched in-between the major cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh – close, but away from the hustle and bustle. This was reinforced by my desire to connect with my Scottish heritage, especially as I’ve recently lost the members of my family who connect me to that tātai whakapapa (strands of ancestry). The papers/modules seemed generally interesting, and Stirling looks like the perfect home away from home for both national and international travel.

While I don’t yet know what truly awaits, there is a lot I hope to get out of this exchange. New experiences, cultural exchange, exposure to rich history and knowledge, a global mindset, new friends and expansive learning are just a few. No matter how things go, I don’t doubt that this will be a life-changing experience that I will long be grateful for being offered!

So, I’ll see you on the flip side!

Ngā mihi and Le dùrachdan,

Waitī