Positive impact in education recognised
On 12 December 2022 AUT student Emeline Latu, who is studying towards a Bachelor of Arts majoring in education was awarded The Prime Minister’s Pacific Youth Award for Education and Teaching at a ceremony held at the Beehive. The Prime Minister’s Pacific Youth Awards celebrate success and rewards outstanding achievement by Pacific young people in Aotearoa.
The Awards recognise the achievement of young Pacific Aotearoa people in several fields, including being advocates for their language and culture; for leadership and entrepreneurship; and for their efforts in the arts, education and the community.
Our winner, Emeline Latu, blew the judges away with her mission to educate those around her about the importance of Tongan culture and values.
"This award reflects the energy and commitment Emeline brings to her education studies,” says one of Emeline’s lecturers, Senior Lecturer of Education Adrian Schoone. “It acknowledges her desire to make a difference in the community. It is inspiring to witness how her approach to education studies is shaped by Tongan values. Emeline always brings a spark to our lectures and is a role model for all our students. We are excited to work with Emeline as she completes her BA Education degree and continues her studies to a post graduate teaching programme at AUT."