Source: Eastern Institute of Technology
1 minute ago
Candice D’Acre (Ngāti Porou) will graduate from EIT Hawke’s Bay for the second time – this time as valedictorian.
She will join fellow graduates at one of two ceremonies at the Napier Municipal Theatre on Wednesday (April 22), where she will receive her Bachelor of Creative Practice (Fashion) and deliver a valedictory address.
“It means that all my hard work, late nights, and sacrifices have not only paid off, but it is something that the people around me saw as well. I’m proud of myself, I’m proud to show my kids you can follow your dreams, and I’m really excited to see people wear the clothes I design for my label Athcara in the future.”
Bachelor of Creative Practice (Fashion) grad Candice D’Acre has been named as one of two valedictorians for EIT Hawke’s Bay.
Her journey at EIT began more than a decade ago. A stay-at-home mother with a two-and-a-half-year-old and a nine-month-old, she decided to enrol in the Bachelor of Business Studies.
“I just decided I needed something more. I literally marched my baby down to EIT and signed up for the business degree that day, and picked all my classes. So, there was really no going back.”
While she enjoyed studying, balancing lectures with motherhood and working at Kmart was a challenge.
“I was breastfeeding, and he wouldn’t take a bottle, so his dad would bring him to EIT so I could feed him between classes.
“But it was good. I’ve always been a very curious person, and I’ve always loved school. Education has always been important to me.”
She was awarded the Sir James Wattie Scholarship and graduated in 2021, becoming the first in her family to complete a degree.
But she wanted to combine her business skills with a creative pursuit and returned to EIT to study the Bachelor of Creative Practice (Fashion) in 2023.
“I’ve always loved fashion. I had a sewing machine for years that I never used, but when I finally tried it, I was terrible at it, and I didn’t hate it. I realised I could be bad at something and still enjoy it, and that it could be a way to use my business degree.”
The degree took her further than she expected, including working backstage at New Zealand Fashion Week as a dresser last year. She also came runner-up in the Hokonui menswear competition and had work displayed at Mindful Fashion.
Candice says her two degrees have given her a perspective she believes is rare.
“Doing both degrees has given me a really unique perspective that I’ve found a lot of other people don’t have, as they are two very different disciplines that people don’t usually study together.”
The 34-year-old is now focused on building her own fashion label and has one goal in mind: “To be self-sustaining with my own business and get people wearing the clothes I make”.
Her children, now 12 and nine, have grown up watching her study.
“I have a photo of them when I graduated with my business degree. I’m actually quite excited to get another photo and see that growth.”
Candice says EIT has played a pivotal role in her journey.
“The person I was when I walked in was very shy with no confidence. Now I feel like a strong, capable woman who is still finding her feet, but getting there.”
She is also not finished yet.
“I’ve got a little dream that one day I’ll come back and do a PhD. I’d love to be Dr Candice.”
EIT Fashion lecturer Christina Rhodes says: “Candice has been a dedicated student in the BCP Fashion, and we congratulate her on being chosen to be Valedictorian”.
