Emma Samuels by Kristan Mouat

Trustpower Community Awards

At Trustpower's Otago Community Awards evening at Toitu Museum Monday 15th May, Emma Samuels was announced as Runner-up for the Youth Community Volunteer Award.

Emma's volunteering profile involves four plus years of supporting students in sport, Nga Manu Korero public speaking, Drama, Pasifica Dance, Kapa Haka, Open Day performances, Peer Reading, student "Buddy" programmes, Race Unity assemblies, academic tutoring, leadership of Maori Language Month and community fundraising work for Nga Manu Korero trips to support our national speaker representatives.

As a year 9 student, Emma was awarded a Logan Park Kapa Haka Scholarship and at Year 11 was selected as our Mana Pounamu representative with a University of Otago sponsorship for "Hands" on Science Summer School. In 2015, Emma led the LPHS Kapa Haka group in a bilingual "Othello" performance at the national Shakespearean Festival in Wellington. The Kapa Haka's sympathetic performance, along with our superb actors, won the top national prize.  Voted in Head Girl in 2017 and appointed one of three Kaitiaki for Maori students, Emma has continued to lead and develop Tupuranga, the Maori and Pasifica student group, welcome students in our 2017 Mihi Whakatau, co-manage the after-school Homework club and develop a new Kapa Haka group with Kavanagh College this year.  Emma's award was presented by the Dunedin Mayor, Dave Cull, and the Services Manager of Trustpower, Matt van Deventer. She was accompanied by her mother, aunty, Kaiako and Principal at the Toitu Trustpower Community Award evening.