Brittany Dick is a taituarā (administrator) with Te Puāwai He Kākano at our Waimeha health hub. In November she was awarded a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship.
Brittany is one of three exceptional university students from Aotearoa New Zealand to be awarded a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship this year.
She is the fourth Māori scholar, among 250 scholars from Aotearoa in total, to be named a Rhodes Scholar in the past 120 years.
Established in 1903, the Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest international scholarship programme, bringing outstanding young people together from around the world to study at the University of Oxford in England.
As a Rhodes Scholar, Brittany joins an elite group that includes American politician James Fulbright, renowned astronomer Edwin Hubble and, in New Zealand, Bryan Gould (former MP and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waikato) and Merata Wheturangi Kawharu, known for her work in education and her family's significant connections to Oxford University.
A valued kaimahi with Te Piki Oranga
Tumuaki Anne Hobby says that she is delighted for Brittany and her whānau, as are the many hoamahi Brittany works with at Te Piki Oranga.
“These scholarships are highly coveted and the Rhodes selection panel, chaired by the Governor-Dame Cindy Kiro, undertakes an incredibly robust process to select the best ākonga to represent Aotearoa.
“Ākonga have to excel academically but they are also selected for their leadership, personality and potential to make this world a better place,” Anne says.
Introducing Brittany
The following haurongo (biography) was first published on the Rhodes Trust website and has been edited here.
Brittany Dick’s (Kāi Tahu) passion for storytelling in the indigenous world has taken her to seven countries during her undergraduate degree to seek out indigenous voices and stories.
She graduated from Minerva University in San Francisco, USA, with a Bachelor of Arts in Historical Forces and Arts and Literature. While studying, Brittany has worked for Te Piki Oranga and Te Korowai Manaakitanga Trust.
In her mahi with Te Piki Oranga, Brittany applies the knowledge gained during her undergraduate dissertation on Māori pregnancy and childbirth traditions to her mahi with Wānanga Hapūtanga and Well Child Tamariki Ora services.
At Oxford University, Brittany intends to continue uplifting indigenous voices from the past by studying history from a Māori perspective.
Brittany receiving her scholarship from Governor-General Her Excellency The Rt Hon Dame Cindy Kiro.
