The business formed by a group of Year 13 Business Studies students represents more than just an academic exercise, it represents a potential pathway for future students to succeed in business.
When Tayla Yates, Trent Wallace, Ollie Williams, Mason Waters, Tuakana Tuira and Keelan Haruru-Breaker formed ‘PTT Honey’ earlier in the year, it was the start of seeing a dream realised for Mr Murray King. For a long time he has hoped to see a Nayland College Māori based business form and flourish, showing students the very real opportunities to succeed within the business world.
Nayland College parent Sarah Sharp came on board supporting the students with top quality manuka honey and Pic Picot from Pic’s Peanut Butter donated the glass jars.
On Wednesday this week Mr King arranged for Pic, Sarah and PTT Honey to meet with Pūaha Te Tai for the business studies group to gift the money they had made to the Kapa Haka Rōpu.
Pūaha Te Tai, their tutor teachers and Mr Wilson welcomed the manuhiri (guests) with a beautiful waiata and then Tuakana Tuira spoke on behalf of PTT Honey.
Tuakana encouraged those listening to believe in themselves and to believe in each other. He then presented Matua Bruno Watkins with $4000 in cash as a koha towards the new piupiu for Pūaha Te Tai Kapa Haka Rōpu. Kumeroa Rahipere and Xanthe Robb were also presented with prizes for selling the most amount of jars.
The announcement of the gift was met with huge appreciation from the students and a rousing haka.
Tuakana then turned his attention to Sarah Sharp and Pic Picot who were also given gifts in appreciation of their support.
In speaking to the students gathered on Wednesday, Pic shared about an experience he had at Waitangi that touched him deeply. He described a business gathering of long standing, mostly conservative business owners, who all came away with a stirred passion and desire to find ways to support a new generation of young rangatahi to find greater opportunities to succeed in business.
Mr King finished by sharing his dream and left us all with “this is just the beginning” as he hopes to see PTT Honey become a business that will continue for many years to come, giving more Māori students the opportunity to learn and grow in business.
By Sarah Luton
