Brooklyn Heiarii Alves-Culley is one of two recipients of the Braemar Charitable Trust Nursing Scholarships for 2024. Brooklyn is 23 and of Cook Island Maori descent and is currently in her second year of studying Nursing at the University of Waikato. "I was brought up in the cultural practices of the Cook Islands thanks to my grandparents, thus many of their values and beliefs have connected with me and I now identify them as my own. My grandparents have been a big part of my life and the reason for my determination to study nursing".
"I have been living in Hamilton for five years now and after college, had the opportunity to work for Pinnacle Midlands Health where I was first introduced to the health industry. During my time there, I also studied at Wintec and gained my Primary Care Practice Assistant certificate. With my certificate, I decided to work in a medical center for more hands-on experience and face-to-face interaction with the community. The team I worked with were a big inspiration for me to pursue a nursing career and I feel very blessed to have them support me through my journey".
Braemar Charitable Trust Manager Paula Baker said, "Brooklyn's desire to give back to the community and in particular Pacifika communities both in New Zealand and in the Cook Islands, through her Nursing studies, really resonated with the scholarship panel. Brooklyn is clearly committed to improving health outcomes and we congratulate Brooklyn on being one of the recipients of the Braemar scholarships in Nursing".
Brooklyn said once she has completed her Bachelor in Nursing, "I plan to work where I will continue to grow and learn as many aspects of the field as possible. At this time I find the area of nursing that interests me is community healthcare, I love connecting with a variety of people where I can support and provide medical care. Surgical or theatre nursing is another area I would like to explore as it sounds interesting however, I have not had the opportunity to experience working there. My long-term professional goal is to work in a position that allows me to travel around Aotearoa and the Cook Islands, supporting communities that share my values in enhancing the health and welfare of our people".
In addition to the $10,000 of funding, we look forward to providing Brooklyn with further opportunities to grow and learn during her 4-week paid work placement which forms part of the Braemar Scholarship in Nursing. Welcome to the Braemar family Brooklyn, we are glad to be able to contribute to your future career in the health sector.
