Māori and Pacific Business Student of the Year 2024

Shamaea Parore Baker

Shamaea Parore Baker hails from the small town of Dargaville Northland and is currently in her final year of a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Management/ Innovation and Entrepreneurship. With aspirations to secure a position at Te Puni Kōkiri, Shamaea is deeply honoured to be a finalist tonight. She proudly represents not only her hometown but also her whānau, as the first in her family to reach this milestone. Though stepping out of her comfort zone, she embraces the opportunity to stand as a testament to the strong women who have come before her and those who will follow. As the whakataukī says, “Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari kē he toa takitini” - My success should not be bestowed onto me alone, it was not individual success but the success of a collective.

Meleana Payn

Meleana is a Bachelor of Commerce / Bachelor of Sport, Health and Physical Education conjoint student majoring in Management. She's born and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau but her family hails from the friendly islands of Tonga. Meleana thoroughly enjoys being a Business Tuākana Tutor alongside her full-time studies where she assists first-year Māori and Pasifika Business students in their core commerce papers. In her spare time, she enjoys spending it with her friends and whānau, whether it's playing backyard sports, watching TV and films, or competing in board games. She aspires to work in Sport Management after university. Sport has always been part of Meleana's life and business has consistently intrigued her since high school. Meleana’s Pacific culture is always at the forefront of what she does and something that she proudly carries with her. Meleana hopes to work in areas that combine her passions and culture to uplift and give back to her community.

Noelani Ah-Chong

Noelani is in her fourth year pursuing a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in International Business. Originally from the villages of Alamagoto, Salelologa, and Safotu in Samoa, she moved to New Zealand in 2012 and proudly calls Otara, South Auckland, her home. As the eldest of six siblings, she values the Christlike teachings and morals instilled by her family, which guide her in all aspects of life. Noelani was honored as Dux of Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate in 2020.

Noelani is dedicated to her community, serving as Co-Director of The MALOSI Project, which empowers Pasifika youth, and as a member of the Otara-Papatoetoe Local Youth Board. She has also been a mentor with the Great Potentials Foundation’s MATES program and a volunteer with the Otara Health Charitable Trust. She is also received the international Duke of Edinburgh Bronze and Silver Awards. Despite her busy schedule, Noelani remains grounded in her faith, giving all glory to God, and credits her achievements to the unwavering support of her family and community.
 

Te Iwitoa Kruger-Taylor

"I stand by this whakatauki: 'Ko au te hue o tēnei taunake ō Tūhoe me Ngāti Maniapoto.' I am studying Business, majoring in Finance and Marketing. I have a strong conviction that I am not an individual, I am an iwi. I have a whakapapa to the land, to the past, to the present and to the future. That whakapapa is our responsibility. My values are strong and my feet are grounded in tikana Tūhoe, tikana Maniapoto."

Brandon Jost-Turei

Brandon Jost-Turei is a third-year International Business and Marketing tauira. He was born and bred in Papakura, with his whakapapa flowing back to Tainui and the Taranaki Iwi. Yet, he feels his wairua was derived in Papakura, and he is passionate to uplift those from similar communities as him. Taking advantage of the privileges university exposes him to has allowed Brandon to be on the Dean's Leadership Award Programme, and the US-NZ Youth Council, and this year alone, Brandon has been blessed to have travelled to India on a Prime Minister's Scholarship and is fresh off the plane from Malaysia, participating in the Te Hononga-ā-Kiwa programme. 

Tayla-Rae Hall

Tayla-Rae is in her final year studying a Bachelor of Law and Commerce, majoring in Accounting and Marketing. She hails from the almighty 685 in Samoa and is passionate about serving her community and improving the well-being of Pasifika people and wider Aotearoa. She is President of the University of Auckland Pasifika Commerce Association, known as Commerce 'o Pasifika, for 2023. She also sits on the executive board of the Auckland University Pasifika Island Student Association. On top of her full-time studies, she is a Business Tuakana Tutor and works part-time at the Grey Lynn Returned Services Club. In her spare time, she enjoys going to the gym and spending time with her family. Over the summer, she moved to Wellington and interned at the Commerce Commission, where she worked in the Product Safety and Consumer Information Standards Team within the Fair Trading Branch. Her project focused on the new sunscreen standards coming into force this September. Tayla is always up for a challenge, and she is grateful to be given the opportunity to be here tonight.