Paige Connon has been selected as a participant in the 2022 TUIA Mayoral Mentoring Programme and will be mentored by Waipā District Council Mayor Jim Mylchreest for the next year.
The programme selects outstanding rangatahi Māori who have the potential to contribute to their community. It aims to help develop leadership through one-on-one mentoring with a local mayor.
No stranger to leadership, Connon spends much of her time volunteering for both school and community projects, is a member of Ngaa Poutiaki and helps teach Te Reo Māori and kapa haka at Leamington Primary School.
She said the programme would be a great addition to her current interests as her passion has always been helping people and caring for animals.
During her final year at Cambridge High School in 2021, Connon was a member of the student executive, the chairperson of the environmental and sustainability committee, and received the Māori women’s welfare league cup for a fine senior Māori student as well as the award for outstanding contribution to kapa haka and outstanding leadership.
The TUIA programme also involves each student undertaking a community contribution of their choosing and attending three wānanga to build networks and mix with a diverse range of people.
“I believe through this it will enable me to learn from the others and bring my learning back into the community.”
Connon says she feels blessed and grateful to have the mayor as a mentor and to have the opportunity to further develop her character.
“Having the opportunity to be under the guidance of Mayor Jim’s knowledge and the experience that he has gained from being involved with local governance for several years will enable me to take on board some of his first-hand takings from his role.”
After officially meeting via Zoom last Wednesday, Mylchreest was very impressed with the young mentee.
“Paige is very keen to share information about the programme, which has been running for over ten years, to help get more young people interested and wanting to be a part of it,” Mylchreest said.
A few of the previous mentees have continued their involvement with the TUIA programme as facilitators.
One past recipient, Cassidy Temese from the 2018 TUIA Rangitahi Leadership programme, went on to stand for Council in the 2019 election and remains involved in the wider community.
“Cassidy has been in fairly close contact ever since and we enjoy catching up with him as and when time permits,” Mylchreest said.
Last year the mayor had two mentees – former Cambridge High School student Sirtori Eade and former Melville High School head girl Sophia Wairoa-Harrison.
Eade, 19, said it was special to have been mentored by Mylchreest as his knowledge and “big heart for our culture is unbelievable”.
“Mayor Jim and Cathy would always get in contact after a wānanga and ask how it went.
“They would also always check-in and see how I was, especially throughout lockdown.”
Eade said she had learned many lessons from Mylchreest through the year but her favourite was “the more you discover about your people, the more you discover about yourself.”
“Each moment from TUIA will always have a special place in my ngaakua, treasured and loved. My Māori journey has truly only just started rolling, last year with TUIA was a year of growth and connections with some of the coolest people I’ve ever met!”
More information about the TUIA Programme is available at www.mtfj.co.nz/our-work/tuia-and-mtfj-rangatahi.
