Phoebe Leonard

"My Summer Research Scholarship project was my first taste of the 'real life' of an academic and I absolutely loved it. It gave me a glimpse of what postgraduate study could be like, in that you are more free to pursue your own research interests, which is both liberating and gratifying.

"Essentially it showed me how much fun research can be when you have a topic you are interested in and are able to follow your own path with it, to see where it can take you. I have been able to approach my topic from both a linguistic perspective and an Indigenous studies perspective. After my masters, I'm planning on returning to the Linguistics department to bring it all together for my PhD.

"My BA (Hons) dissertation looked at elements of Māori grammar and how they are currently understood in terms of their syntactic behaviour and semantic and conceptual content. My specific focus was on the particles 'i' and 'ki'. However, this line of research has so many tangential aspects to it that I think I could look at Māori grammar for the rest of my life and still not get to the bottom of it!

"I hope to be able to use the knowledge I gain through research to consult with and help the doers and go-getters of this world to create positive change for our future. Ideally, I would like to be an academic, researching the types of ideas I am passionate about – especially language, Indigenous rights and decolonisation. I'd like my research to contribute to the increased and sustained wellbeing of Indigenous peoples around the globe.

"Have some idea of what you want to do before you start your postgraduate study. Learn how to structure your time and keep to a schedule as much as possible. There is a lot more writing involved at postgraduate level so you really need to stay on top of things and keep yourself accountable. But if you are passionate about what you are doing it is all worth it!

"I was pretty shy when I first started at the University of Auckland and didn't integrate myself into student life much until I was asked to be a Tuākana in my second year. I began to see how valuable connections with and support from both faculty staff and peers can be. The relationships you develop can be so fruitful and can last a lifetime, so I would encourage everyone to get involved as much as you can.

"I recommend postgraduate study to everyone. The sky is honestly the limit."

Phoebe is a recipient of a Summer Research Scholarship, University of Auckland Linguistics Postgraduate Scholarship, University of Auckland Postgraduate Scholarship and Kupe Leadership Scholarship.