Te Tatau Strother: Remarkable Role Model

HBHS takes pride in producing well rounded, confident role models who are prepared for their adult lives. Role models like Te Tatau Strother. The 17 year old is a perfect example for anyone who aspires to succeed in any aspect of life. He has cultural, sporting, and academic expertise which, paired with admirable values, will take him a long way. 

Te Tatau walked into the HBHS Year 10 Navy English classroom on a cold July morning. He was wearing his black blazer, which was so covered in badges that he would have to play Tetris to fit any more. He is a Māori Year 13 student with straight black hair and above average height. Accompanying him was Whaea Andrea Randell, an English teacher and Kaiarahi Māori (leader for Māori) at HBHS. She has a strong connection with Te Tatau and his family and was even coached in basketball by Te Tatau’s grandfather. The two took part in an interview with my class.

Te Tatau lives in a Māori speaking household, and attended a full Maori immersion school: Ngā Taiātea Wharekura, until Year 11. He has vast knowledge in Te Ao Māori and this is an important part of his identity. I observed this when Te Tatau addressed the class in Māori. This included his expression of gratitude that he had the opportunity to speak to us and then the iwi he is from. On his dad's side he is part of Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Rakaipaaka. On his mum’s side he is from Ngāti Hine and Ngāti Wai. Te Tatau is also a leader of the Ngā Mangai Homework Centre and the HBHS and HGHS kapa haka group, Te Maurea Whiritoi. One component of the Māori world Whaea Randell spoke about in the interview is Whakapapa. This involves cultural identity and connections to things such as land and iwi. She emphasized the importance of building connections and getting to know each other, and linked that to what we were doing in that moment we were interviewing Te Tatau. In these ways Whaea Randell and Te Tatau displayed their cultural integrity. 

Te Tatau is also a great sportsperson. He is a star for the HBHS Senior Premier Basketball team and has represented Waikato and even New Zealand in Basketball on multiple occasions. He is proud of winning the NZ Super 8 Basketball competition in 2022. Whaea Randell described him as a “sportaholic.” Before Te Tatau started school, he played in sports leagues with 5, 6, and even 7 year olds. He is now the Captain of Basketball at school. He hopes to carry his serious skill in Basketball into his post-secondary-school life. He aspires to play professionally in Australia’s National Basketball League or to play on a scholarship with a U.S. University. 

His success at school makes him a great role model for his peers. Transitioning from Ngā Taiātea was a big change for Te Tatau. It meant he was moving from a small wharekura where Te Reo Māori was the main language to a large English speaking multicultural high school at HBHS. Still, he found it quite easy to settle in.

Fast-forward to Year 13 and Te Tatau thinks “really highly of HBHS.” He has achieved a lot at school. His achievements consist of (but aren’t limited to): Captain of Basketball 2023 and 2024, Prefect, Academic Honours, Taylor House Captain, and the Kaiarahi Ngā Rangatahi badge for being a Māori leader and for his work with the Ngā Mangai Homework Centre. When talking about his schoolwork he said that he “kind of do[es] everything at home.” This is because he struggles to focus in class and values a calm home environment. This way of balancing school and sport is unique, but it works. 

Possibly above anything else, Te Tatau’s values and mindset help him to see success. Whaea Randell said he was kind, respectful, and very humble. He showed us himself what she meant by taking time to answer every question with care. It was difficult for him to hear and talk about all his achievements at the interview because of his humility.

Someone who Te Tatau sees as a role model is Michael Jordan. This is because of his winning mentality. He likes that “no matter the odds, [Jordan] would always keep pushing.” Now Te Tatau has inspiring stories of perseverance of his own. Last year, at the NZSS Basketball Tournament, Te Tatau broke his pinky finger. He told us it was so swollen that it “used to look like his thumb.” Despite this, he kept playing in order to help his team. In the final game he scored a huge 38 points! He only got medical help after the tournament was finished. The challenges Te Tatau has overcome show that he is a determined, perseverant role model with a strong mind. 

These values, achievements, experiences, and pieces of character combine to make Te Tatau an outstanding role model where “well rounded” is an understatement. His kindness, respect, and mental toughness build a firm foundation, further strengthened by his academic expertise and cultural knowledge. His skills in basketball and his natural leadership have set him on a promising path to a professional career after school. There are various possibilities the future may present, but one thing is certain: Te Tatau will continue to shine as a role model and be a beacon of inspiration to all alongside him. 

Ko te manu e kai ana i te miro nōna te ngahere

Ko te manu e kai ana i te mātauranga nōna te ao

The bird that consumes the miro berry owns the forest

The bird that consumes knowledge owns the world