Media savvy single mum immersed in te reo Māori
Single parent Joanne O’Brien was enjoying a successful media career when a long-held yearning to speak te reo Māori saw her return to university. Now she is enrolled in Te Tohu Paetahi (Diploma in Māori and Indigenous Studies - Te Reo Māori), and one of two recipients of the 2018 Waikato Alumni Scholarship.

English, art and education – Helen’s mastering them all
UK-born Helen English has called New Zealand home for 22 years, and Rotorua for the last twelve. With a career in education and a passion for art, the self-confessed “life-long learner” is studying toward a Master of Education in Arts Education and is a dual recipient of the 2018 Waikato Alumni Scholarship.

Danni’s preparing to ‘avo go’ at gold
Tauranga-based BSc alumna Danni van der Heijden juggles some mad circus and roller derby skills alongside her work in the avocado industry. The 2018 Bay of Plenty Young Fruit Grower takes on her next challenge as Technical Representative in a newly created role with AVOCO.

Waikato Master of Science student has bigger fish to fry
When Brazilian-born Carlos Moraes first arrived in New Zealand he worked as a kitchen hand, trained to be a chef and cooked in some of the best seafood restaurants in Queenstown. Now, instead of frying fish he’s studying them for his Master of Biological Science at the University of Waikato’s Tauranga campus.

A head for numbers, a heart for promises
Valued alumna, successful businesswoman, TEDx speaker and marathon runner, Vanessa Oshima shares her inspirational story of friendship, resilience and promises kept.

Sing to the elephants
Bachelor of Music alumna Niamh Lovelock is taking her major in Voice to an elephant sanctuary in Thailand where she'll sing to mistreated animals to aid their recovery.

Getting to know Richard Witts
He’s just celebrated one year as Regional Manager for East Asia at the University of Waikato’s International Office and, as a part of our valued Alumni & Friends community, we figured it’s time to get to know Richard Witts.

Hitting the right notes
Waikato alumnus Jarvis Dams won the 2017 New Zealand Aria competition.

Cool solution to a common Kiwi problem
Simon Huesser keeps the 'beeries' cold with a cool solution - the HUSKI Cooler™

A ‘Glimpse’ of Waikato talent
University of Waikato alumni debut multi-media artwork at the Arohanui film festival