Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
From squash racquet to lab coat
When Covid-19 hit, Annaleise Faint was just beginning her ‘‘Ma¯ ori journey’’.
Despite having a squash scholarship to Dickinson College, in Pennsylvania, closed borders meant Faith made the decision to study in New Zealand.
‘‘But I also think it was also a lot more than that,’’ Faint said.
‘‘I had just started my Ma¯ ori journey and just being connected to that and I think if I went over there, I wouldn’t have come as far as I have.’’
Faint is a member of Pu¯ horo STEM academy. Launched in 2016, the programme fosters the development of over 800 Ma¯ ori students, in their science, technology, engineering and mathematics education, right through to employment.
This summer, she would undertake her Pu¯ horo STEM summer internship with Bragato Research Institute (BRI), based in Blenheim.
Having just finished her first year at Massey University, with plans to major in Molecular Biology and Chemistry, she said she was excited to get the handson experience.
‘‘It’s been a really good experience because during Covid and lockdown at uni, we didn’t do any labs, and labs is a pretty big part of a bachelor of science,’’ she said.
‘‘So every two weeks we would have to do a lab, but we obviously couldn’t go in to do the lab. So we would just have to watch videos of our lecturers doing it, which sucks, because we don’t get the hands on work.’’
Only a few days into the internship, she’d already been working in winery labs.
‘‘I’ve never done anything with wine before, it was more to learn new things in what I’m interested in,’’ she said.
Faint said her current goal was to become a secondary school teacher in a Ma¯ori Medium school teaching Biology and Chemistry.
Her biggest passion is my tutoring and helping out the Pu¯ horo students.
As part of her engagement with Pu¯ horo, she had already developed NCEA resources for Levels 1 to 3 science subjects that are Ma¯ tauranga Ma¯ ori inspired.
‘‘In Level 2 Chemistry, you have to learn about structure and bonding, so how I was able to link it back to te Ao Ma¯ ori or Ma¯tauranga Ma¯ori was the ha¯ngı¯ rocks that you should use,’’ Faint said.
‘‘You wouldn’t use river rocks, because they’re full of water and water bonds break at pretty low temperatures and so those water molecules would turn into gas, and they expand the rock and it causes the rock to explode.
‘‘Whereas, you should use volcanic rocks because they don’t have water, but they also have really strong bonds, so they can reach temperatures of up to 1500 degrees and your ha¯ngı¯ only reaches 700 degrees.’’
Pu¯ horo stakeholder relationships manager Dr Mahonri Owen of Nga¯ puhi said amongst all the uncertainties and challenges 2020 had presented, it was exciting to see Faint take up the opportunity with BRI.
BRI chief executive MJ Loza said the wine industry was just starting its journey with Vision Ma¯ tauranga.
Vision Ma¯tauranga is the Government’s science policy framework to unlock the science and innovation potential of Ma¯ ori knowledge, resources and people for the benefit of all New Zealanders.
‘‘We’re fortunate to have Annaleise over the summer and look forward to her insights,’’ Loza said.