Hard work and determination to succeed has meant a young Maori woman has unwittingly become a role model to other young women throughout New Zealand.
“Most young girls don’t think about engineering as an option in terms of a career. I’m here to show them it’s not only an option, but a great choice for women where you can get a degree and get a fantastic job, and yes, I am talking about engineering,” says Ruth Tautari.
Ms Tautari, of Ngapuhi affiliations, is one of fourteen students in the final weeks of the inaugural three year Bachelor of Engineering Technology at the Wellington Institute of Technology. She is also a Lieutenant in the New Zealand Army based at Trentham where she works giving support to the workshop which maintains the Army’s vehicles.
Ms Tautari decided to study engineering majoring in mechanical to enable her to provide more technical support in her role, a decision which was backed by her employer and her family, particularly an older sister who had also served in the New Zealand Army.
