HEADING OVERSEAS
Jannaha Henry did not expect her interest in business management would lead her on a path to Poland.
But the 20-year-old from New Plymouth has been selected for a scholarship that, this week, will send her overseas to continue her studies for the next five months.
‘‘I have always wanted to travel since I was little,’’ the Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec) student said.
‘‘And now there’s an opportunity right here in front of me and I’m going to take it.’’
The European Union-funded Erasmus+ Scholarship will pay for Henry - the only New Zealand student selected for the programme this year - to fly to Poland and continue working toward her Bachelor of Applied Management degree.
The scholarship will also partially pay for her accommodation.
‘‘I’m sort of nervous because I’m a naive traveller,’’ Henry said.
‘‘I’ve never been overseas or on an international flight.’’
Henry has completed two years towards her degree but has lived in Hamilton since August.
While working hard to maintain her ‘A’ and ‘B+’ average grades, Henry heard about the scholarship that sends students to Europe.
‘‘I wasn’t going to go for it,’’ she said.
‘‘But I thought if I took it step by step, I could get it done.’’
With ‘‘a lot of help’’ from staff at Wintec, Henry successfully lodged her application.
Henry admits the application process was certainly stressful.
‘‘I had to get a passport and a visa and I didn’t have a lot of time to get it done.’’
But Henry heard her good grades had earned her the scholarship.
Henry departs New Zealand on Thursday, February 8, to start her third year at Kozminski University in the Polish capital of Warsaw, where she will study in an English-speaking class for five months.
But she plans to stay for an extra four weeks for ‘‘personal travel’’.
‘‘I might as well make the most of it while I’m out there.’’
While Henry has no idea what to expect, she is enthusiastic about sharing New Zealand culture with the people she meets.
‘‘I want to show them the haka and our song and dance,’’ she said.
‘‘And I also want to share my music. I play all sorts of instruments.’’