Goal Setter Awards - Ki te Ao Mārama | The Rotary Club of Port Nicholson

Applications for 2026 now open

If you are in (at least) your second year of tertiary education, can show a history of goal setting and goal achievement, while contributing service to others (individuals, groups or the community at large) and doing so while having to overcome significant barriers we urge you to apply for a Goal Setter Award 2026.

$4000 cash award

Eligible students are those who, at the time of application, are undertaking tertiary study in the Wellington/Kapiti area towards completion of an undergraduate or post-graduate degree, a National Certificate, or structured workplace learning for completing a New Zealand Apprenticeship.

Don't miss out! Apply by 20 November 2025

For more information and to apply, click here

Goal Setters 2025

This year, the award ceremony at Te Papa was incredibly moving for those in attendance as we heard the stories of our five winners. Thanks to our very generous sponsors, we were able to award two other recipients with smaller prizes of $500 each.

Our recipients' stories of hardship and resilience, overcoming the barriers to reach success in their field of interest. We are incredibly proud of and thankful to our winners for sharing their stories with us and wish them all the best in their futures.

We also extend our thanks to Hon Erica Stanford, Minister of Education who delivered an interesting and inspiring address.

Goal Setters 2024 Awards

Posted on Apr 18, 2024

The 33rd goal setters award breakfast at the Pipitea Marae on April 14th was a red letter day for our Rotary Club, and will not be easily forgotten by the 212 people who were enthralled by the four stories of the worthy recipients in 2024 - Ace Goff, Jono Petersen, Marilyn Mansilla and Tanith Wirihana Te Waitohioterangi. The Prime Minister gave a strong address which echoed the stories of our scholarship winners and he enjoyed relating to and speaking with them throughout.

Goal Setters Winners 2023 with Guest Speaker, Chief Ombudsman, Peter Boshier

Goal Setters Winners 2022 with Guest Speaker, Disability Rights Commissioner, Paula Tesoriero

Congratulations to our Goal Setter Awardees for 2018. On Friday 16 March, Mayor Justin Lester presented the awards to Nadia Cooper, Brooke Leota and Jordan Tewhaiti-Smith. It was a wonderful celebration of goal setting and achievement. These three young people have all dealt with significant challenges while achieving amazing things and helping others. We look forward to seeing them progress in their chosen careers and we know they will be valuable contributors to our communities.

Click here for the 2019 Stuff article to find out more about Mr Tewhaiti-Smith's incredible journey from a mob family to graduating as a doctor. We are happy to have been able to assist him in his journey and are proud of his successes.

Emily Dwight: Emily was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2015 when she was used by a lecturer as a model to demonstrate neck ultrasounds in front of her classmates. She has since undergone surgery to remove the whole of her thyroid gland followed by radiation therapy. Despite the strain, Emily went on to be awarded a Dean’s Commendation for fifth year medicine and was re-elected onto the NZ Medical Student’s Association executive team.

Jeremy Haggland: A medical misadventure while undergoing surgery in 2009 led to Jeremy having to undergo multiple operations, spending the equivalent of a whole year in hospital during the past seven years. As a result of the many surgeries he has undergone Jeremy now has to deal with chronic pain. Aged 44, Jeremy is in his third and final year for a degree of Bachelor of Nursing Maori at Whitireia. Since beginning nursing studies Jeremy has been an advocate on behalf of the students of Whitireia and New Zealand as the TRT Chairperson of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation National Student Unit.

Julie Vidal: Julie and her sister were raised by their father who died in 2016. Soon after her father’s death she was served with a 21-day eviction notice as neither she nor her smaller sister were on the tenancy agreement. Julie has just started the fourth of five years’ study for a Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Laws at Victoria University, Wellington. Regularly volunteering work at the Home of Compassion’s Soup Kitchen since she was 15, Julie also works at the Wellington Community Law Centre as a student volunteer. In 2016 she was elected Academic officer for the Pasifika Law Students’ Society.