Source: Ara Institute of Canterbury
Two years ago, at the age of 58, Huriana Russell decided she wanted more for her life than sitting watching afternoon soaps.
Putting two decades of addiction behind her and having never touched a laptop, Huriana decided the path to a positive future lay in study.
On Friday, friends and whānau cheered her on as she graduated with a New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Social and Community Services) (Level 4) specialising in Mental Health and Addiction Support, from Ara Institute of Canterbury.
“I’m so happy that my whānau including some of my mokos were here. They are the ones who’ve seen me uplifted from when I first started,” she said.
“I feel more like an inspiration to my mokos now. They’ve seen me out there doing something, not a 60-year-old lady sitting in a chair. I saw my mum do that and I wanted a change from what I saw,” she said.
“Their awhi (support) helped me see a new path forward and gain inspiration to begin study,” she said. “My journey to recovery gave me the opportunity to see there was more to life than the struggle I’d been in, but it had been so many years since being in a classroom, I had to learn to write essays!”
The answer lay in Ara’s New Zealand Certificate in Study and Career Preparation (Level 3) Support Work and Social Work Pathway in 2023, followed by the qualification she celebrated at Ara’s spring graduation today.
As part of her studies, Huriana completed a placement at Purapura Whetū – the very organisation she once turned to for support. Team members from there also attended the ceremony to see her cross the stage at Woolfbrook Arena.
One of her Ara tutors Dr Joanna Cobley said Huriana brought “a respectful and wholehearted energy to her learning.”
“She drew deeply from her lived experience and was driven by a genuine desire to grow her knowledge and skills to serve a community with specific needs. Her journey reflected Ara’s values of hono, hihiri, and aroha – connecting with others, learning with purpose, and leading with compassion,” Cobley said.
Huriana received an Ara Eke Panuku award in her first year of study in 2023, in recognition of intergenerational whānau (family) transformation through education, agency and enterprise.
Drawing on the whakatauki (proverb) Poipoia te kākano, kia puāwai (nurture the seed and it will blossom), Ara Māori Success Team Kaumātua Poutama | Te Waha Pu Harry Westrupp paid tribute to her dedication.
“This is whānau transformation – one kuia’s courage opening doors for generations,” he said. “Tena koe (congratulations), Huriana.”
When asked about her study journey, Huriana described every step of her experience as a highlight.
“Each paper that I had to do, each and every wānanga and kōrero, has contributed to my growth personally and professionally. I see my journey as one whole continuous highlight. It gave me a whole new outlook on life.”
And the study hasn’t stopped. Completing her Level 4 qualification earned her entry to Matatini Ora – Diploma in Māori Public Health (Level 6) Māori Mental Health and Addiction through Te Rau Ora.
The hope is to give back to those who helped her. “Giving back to the community is so important to me – I know what it’s like to have healing supported and being part of positive change in the community. I want to use my skills and lived experience to help whānau and rangatahi (young people) who’re walking a similar journey that I’ve been on.”
She hopes sharing her story inspires others. “I say to young ones, now it doesn’t matter your age or the challenges you face every day, we all have the opportunity to learn more.”
“I hope that my journey shows moko and whānau and community that change, growth and learning is always possible.”
