More than 670 members of the Class of 2024 graduated in three ceremonies held over two days at Due Drop Events Centre, Manukau.

Celebrations began with Tuku Taonga, a special annual recognition of the achievement of Māori graduates held at Ngā Kete Wānanga Marae, ?tara.

“Many of us didn’t take the straight path,” student speaker Dr Alexander Stevens II (Ngāti Kahu ki Whaingaroa, Ngāpuhi) told the audience in the whare, summing up a sentiment heard many times during our events.

Dr Stevens, who today is a Senior Lecturer at Auckland University of Technology, spoke about his own relationship with MIT which first began in 1998 at the age of nineteen when he enrolled in foundation studies.

“That’s what I love about Manukau Institute of Technology. We don’t have a straight pathway. Many of us have come through different doors. That’s what makes this institute unique.”

Matangaro Ngatungane Raea, Bachelor of Applied Social Work

At each ceremony, one graduate was selected to represent their classmates to speak about their inspirations, the challenges they faced while studying and the ‘why’ that got them through.

“I didn’t know what to do. Go back to work or take this opportunity to study,” says Matangaro Ngatungane Raea, referencing a common theme for those receiving degrees and diplomas who started their journeys during the COVID pandemic.

“After many prayers and seeking advice from friends and family I took this leap of faith and enrolled at MIT in the July intake. It was the best decision I ever made,” says Ms Raea who completed foundation studies before completing Bachelor of Applied Social Work.

Mata was also elected class rep, as well as being heavily involved in student politics serving as MIT Student Council Vice President and then President in 2024

“I am reminded how fast time moves,” she says. “One day we are walking to class for the first time as strangers. Nervous. Asking ourselves, can I do this? Am I too old? Can I keep up? What were you thinking, Mata? Now we are at the end of the chapter looking back on everything and somehow, we became a family. We have gone from first name basis to calling each other brother and sister.”

Ms Raea told the audience at Pasifika Thanksgiving, graduates from Pacific communities carry more than books and laptops with them when they go to class, they carry the “sacrifice, prayers and dreams” of their ancestors.

La-Rochelle Bernstein, Bachelor of Education (Primary, Pasifika)

Those receiving qualifications in our first ceremony for Hospitality, Sport, Social Work, Education and Engineering heard from La-Rochelle Bernstein who was among the first cohort graduating Bachelor of Education (Primary, Pasifika).

“I have embraced the principles of manaakitanga and aroha, the very heart of MIT. These are not just words; they are values that shape our interactions, strengthen our connections, and uplift our communities,” Ms Bernstein says who is currently working as a primary teacher at Baverstock Oaks School in Flat Bush.

“I am proudly Greek and South African. I want to honour my culture with the South African whakatauki, ‘if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’! Ubuntu!”

Titilua Taulapapa, Bachelor of Business Studies

Titilua Taulapapa spoke on behalf of Business, Digital Technologies, Health & Counselling, Logistics and Maritime graduates.

Ms Taulapapa told the ceremony about the struggle and sacrifice that her late parents and younger brother in Samoa endured in order for her to pursue education.

“I reached out to so many institutions [on arriving in this country] only to be met with rejection after rejection. Each no was a reminder that I had no New Zealand education background, no familiarity with their systems or curriculum. It was disheartening.”

“MIT didn’t just open their doors-they opened their hearts. MIT became my second home. To get to class, I had to take two buses and a train. On early morning classes, I used my last dollars on an Uber just to make it on time. It was tough.”

“But I never gave up – I can’t give up, because I had promised myself: my children would never walk the path I had walked. That was my fire. That was my ‘why’. This degree is not just a paper. It is a legacy. I am the first in our family to receive a tertiary qualification.”

Paris Boyce-Bacon, Bachelor of Nursing

For the Graduate Speaker at our final ceremony, the path towards a nursing degree began at Starship Hospital where she sought treatment to rehab injuries picked up during her representative gymnastics career.

Paris Boyce-Bacon had originally considered studying sports medicine. But it was watching the nurses who cared for her in action that prompted a change of direction.

“I don’t remember my doctors, But I remember my nurses. I remember the way they made me feel safe, cared for, and seen. It was those nurses who inspired me to pursue paediatric nursing — because fostering those kinds of meaningful, lasting relationships with patients is what matters most to me. That, to me, is the heart of nursing.”

Recently, Ms Boyce-Bacon came full circle on landing her ‘dream job’ — as a paediatric oncology and haematology nurse at Starship.

“To every single graduate here today: you did it. You’ve earned this moment. You’ve earned the right to stand tall and proud. As we step into the next chapter, I leave you with this:

“Let your journey be guided by purpose, not fear. Let setbacks shape you, not stop you. And let your heart lead — because that’s what makes a nurse truly extraordinary.”

In his address to the ceremonies, MIT Executive Director Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga thanked families, supporters and staff for their commitment to nurturing the potential of today’s graduates.

“MIT is proud to embrace innovation in practical learning and diversity. We are blessed to have you join us as part of our whānau. We know you leave here with the knowledge, skills and wisdom to create positive impacts in Aotearoa and around the world,” says Mr Lotu-Iiga.

Manukau Institute of Technology would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our wonderful graduates and wish them all the best for their future careers!

‘Kua tawhiti kē tō haerenga mai, kia kore e haere tonu. He nui rawa ō mahi kia kore e mahi tonu’ –

‘We have come too far not to go further. We have done too much not to do more’

– Sir James Hēnare (1911 – 1989)

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