Te Ruki Pierce-Dunn is one of two future Māori leaders to be selected as a UN Youth International Delegate. He says the key to Māori success is having strong support systems at home and at school.
He hopes to bring back meaningful insights from his United Nations Global Development journey. A journey he says wouldn't be possible without the support of his family and school community.
"I'm very happy and humbled by all the family support I have received throughout this journey."
Te Ruki's mother, Te Iwingaro Dunn says that when success is shared, leaders are born.
"It's great when they gain success and reach milestones but the important thing is that they take people with them so that others may also achieve success."
According to his teachers, leadership is one of Te Ruki's strong points.
Massey High School Assistant Principal Maila Alatasi says, "He is a really influential young man amongst his peers in terms of his character, and how he carries himself and simply leading by example."
Massey High School Principal Shirley Cranston told Te Kāea, "His leadership style, what we really admire him for. He's very inclusive and so humble in how he does it."
An aspiring orthopaedic surgeon, Te Ruki hopes to bring international awareness to the need of indigenous health professionals.
Te Ruki says, "The biggest thing for me is that I stand as an example to my peers and to other Māori youth, so they too can believe in themselves and achieve their goals."
He joins twenty-one other New Zealand youth ambassadors on the United Nations Global Development Tour which begins next January.
Te Ruki is crowd funding his journey to the UN, if you would like to support him visit https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/help4teruki