Jesse Davis
Having worked as a Pharmacy technician upon completing Secondary School, Jesse (Ngāpuhi, Ngati Manu) found his passion for helping others and enacting change within the health sector, in the Bachelor of Health Sciences.
I attended secondary school from 2011 to 2015, but my first year in university was in 2022, so evidently, studying in higher education hasn’t always been on the cards. Although I am encouraged that so many young people today see tertiary education as a consecutive step in their education journey, this privilege is still not experienced by all rangatahi; it certainly wasn’t for me
“It wasn’t until after working for over half a decade as a Pharmacy Technician that the loving support of my whānau and friends eroded the fear of venturing into higher education.
“Māori display the greatest healthcare need in the country but receive the least, which is no accident. Colonisation has stolen from us our lands, whānau and language and now robs Māori of man's most precious taonga - time.
“Studying at Waipapa Taumata Rau will equip me with the education necessary to enact real change in the health sector and address the health inequities that affect the people I love.
“Thanks to the support of MAPAS staff dedicated to making Vision 20:20 a reality, I graduated with more than a certificate; I now belong to a whānau of like-minded people who embody brown excellence. In MAPAS, you only need to look at those you stand shoulder-to-shoulder with to be inspired.”