Arahina's story

Arahina Ormsby Matehe - Project Manager

Graduate - New Zealand Diploma in Youth Work (see similar programmes)

"I want to make a positive impact on people's lives" 

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For Arahina, no two days are the same.

Currently working for Māori Women’s Development Inc. as the Rangitahi Project Manager, Arahina spends her days organising programmes and events across Aotearoa with young people in schools and youth organisations, teaching them to run business enterprise programmes.

Arahina started her journey with WelTec in 2015, completing a degree in Youth Work in 2018 (see similar programmes). Her experience going through hard times as a young person herself fuelled her passion to become the role model she wished she always had.

For Arahina, youth work is her way of giving back to her community and helping people turn their lives around. Her favourite part of the job is igniting an excitement for entrepreneurship within young people and introducing them to tools they can create a future in business with.

As a Māori woman, it was important for Arahina to be able to share her learnings at WelTec through things like waiata and sharing stories, and her tutors encouraged her to be true to her culture and identity which helped her finish the programme. To this day, Arahina still implements models she learnt at WelTec into her everyday work.

Arahina's mahi inspiring youth to spark their inner entrepreneur has inspired her own passion for entrepreneurship, as she plans to start her own business one day in the future. Her advice for students interested in studying Youth Work is to use your passion as your drive. “Continue to tap into your passion for working with youth and remember your drive.” 

Study Youth Work at WelTec

Give back to the community with a career in Youth Work. Learn the skills needed to support our youth from hands-on tutors, and get work experience that will prepare you to enter the workforce straight after graduation. 

Find the right programme for you here.