Source: Eastern Institute of Technology
50 seconds ago
Jordon Lima (Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Ngāpuhi) took to the stage twice at EIT Tairāwhiti’s graduation ceremony on Friday – first to address the graduates as guest speaker, then to join her fellow graduates to receive her New Zealand Diploma in Te Reo Māori.
The 28-year-old completed the Level 5 Rumaki (full-immersion) Diploma at EIT while simultaneously finishing a PhD in Biomedical Sciences through Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka (the University of Otago).
Jordon said being asked to speak at the ceremony came as a surprise but was a meaningful opportunity to reflect on her journey.
EIT graduate and guest speaker Jordon Lima with her grandparents Tangi and Pete Kelleher.
In her address, she encouraged graduates to pursue further study no matter what stage of life, drawing on the statistic that the average age for Māori students completing a doctorate is 48.
“At the time I heard that, when I was starting my doctorate, I was not even half of that age! Studying for me was about curiosity and pursuing a passion – something anyone can do at any age.”
Jordon graduated with a Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences with Honours at the University of Otago in 2020. Last month, she defended her PhD in Biochemistry and Māori Studies at the Mātai Medical Research Institute in Gisborne.
Her doctoral research examined how circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) – cancer-specific DNA detectable in the blood – could improve cancer screening and outcomes for Tairāwhiti communities.
Using a Kaupapa Māori approach to Biomedical Sciences, the project required close partnership with the communities her research was designed to benefit.
Her research is deeply personal, having lost several whānau members to cancer over the years, including her Aunty Hariata Green, who passed away in 2022 and before then, her Nanny Pōrua and Papa Joseph Green, who were all reo Māori teachers in Gisborne.
Jordon Lima addressed the crowd at EIT Tairāwhiti’s graduation ceremony on Friday.
“Aunty had been complaining of pain for ages before she was even diagnosed, and when she was, it was stage four. That was my turning point to design technologies that are actually going to be used by our people. I wanted to focus on empowerment in healthcare and do something with te reo to whakamana the people that we lost.”
Born in Tairāwhiti and raised in Christchurch, Jordon returned to her birthplace during the latter stages of her PhD to deepen her understanding of the tikanga, reo and kawa of the region.
“It felt wrong to write about it from anywhere else but here.”
Having not grown up with te reo Māori, Jordon turned to Te Whatukura at EIT, where she said the kōkā Barbie and kōkā Ange’s knowledge of her whakapapa made it feel like a place she belonged.
“As soon as I moved home and started learning our histories and mātauranga, I actually felt safe. They knew a lot about my whakapapa that I wanted to know. It was a beautiful space to be in.”
Jordon said studying at EIT alongside her PhD was one of the most rewarding parts of her academic journey. She described the rumaki environment as transformative – learning through stories, waiata and games in a way that reminded her of what it would have been like if she had gone to kōhanga reo.
She submitted her thesis midway through last year, returning for the second half of the programme able to fully immerse herself in her reo studies.
“It was hectic. I would start early in the morning, do work on my PhD, go to class from nine until three, and then stay on campus writing my thesis until I was basically kicked out when the building closed.”
Jordon said the kōkā at Te Whatukura were instrumental in her journey, not only as teachers but as connectors to her whakapapa. Kōkā Barbie, who is connected to Jordon’s whakapapa, gifted her a whakapapa booklet that contributed to an entire rewrite of her doctoral thesis.
The rumaki environment also helped her build confidence in te reo Māori, which she had never had before.
“It was super fulfilling to learn about the tikanga, reo and kawa of Tairāwhiti. When I first moved home, I didn’t understand anything that was being said on the paepae, but towards the end of my reo classes, I realised that I’ve actually learned heaps of reo just from being spoken to all day.”
She said that confidence is now central to her work. “It’s still quite rare to see scientists who can also kōrero Māori. Being able to go into the community and talk about science in reo is something I’m really excited about.”
Since completing her PhD, Jordon has been awarded the 2025 Otago Health Sciences Māori Postdoctoral Fellowship, through which she is establishing a molecular biology laboratory in Tairāwhiti capable of conducting blood-based cancer detection tests.
Jordon will formally graduate with her PhD in May this year. And she hasn’t ruled out one day completing the Bachelor of Arts (Māori) at EIT.
“I don’t know where I would find the time right now. But I’d love to do that one day.”
Tairāwhiti Campus Executive Director Tracey Tangihaere said: “I suggested Jordon as guest speaker due to her academic achievement, but also her desire to succeed in Māori health outcomes while being culturally grounded”.
“Having the life experience and stronger cultural skills, such as te reo, helps in communities like ours. Jordon has significant drive and passion. She’s a wonderful role model for us all.”
