While Keystone Trust trustees, staff and sponsors can open doors for the scholarship recipients, it is up to the individual to make the most of any opportunity. When Elyjana Roach of Porirua was awarded a Keystone Study Award in 2012, she went on to complete her Masters of Architectural Studies at Victoria University of Wellington, and today is heading to Harvard University with a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship.
“I always have remembered that I wanted to do architecture, which sounds really geeky. I was home-schooled for a bit and then I went to school and then my last year of primary, year eight, I have very vivid memories of telling my teacher I wanted to be an architect even though I had no idea what that meant.”
Through Elyjana’s time with Keystone Trust, she had a fantastic experience, which included site visits, networking events and summer work opportunities with some of Keystone Trust’s sponsors.
“Keystone Trust provided me the confidence to create relationships in the industry and to learn from others’ experience within my profession” said Elyjana. “The Trust opened up doors that otherwise would not have been possible. The experiences I have gained through the Trust have been invaluable to my personal and professional growth.”
In 2017, Elyjana created a unique project for her final year and thesis at university, which was focused on her hometown of Porirua, and connecting people to the city and its two harbours.
“The government can only do so much. Solutions must come from the people who actually live there and have businesses there. Plus, I felt like growing up in Porirua really taught me how to relate to a lot of different people. I’m half Samoan and half Australia – my Dad’s from Tasmania though was born in Papua New Guinea and Mum was born in Samoa but grew up in Invercargill of all places – and I grew up in Porirua,” said Elyjana.
Elyjana is currently working on a variety of projects with the local city councils, for example, a thirty-year strategic growth plan.
Elyjana has just received a Fulbright Scholarship, and will complete a Master in Architecture in Urban Design at Harvard Graduate School of Design in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
“The first semester is starting online in September, which I am excited about because it means I still get to work on some projects here,” says Elyjana. “It will be fascinating. I am really curious to see what the experience is like and to make the most of the opportunity. We are going to bring Harvard to Porirua, which has never been done before and that is the part I am excited about.”
And so is Keystone Trust. We wish Elyjana all the very best for her future endeavours and hope to keep in touch as she undertakes her study. All our current students can be inspired by where their learning can take them.
What is a Fulbright Scholarship?
The New Zealand-United States Educational Foundation (trading as Fulbright New Zealand since 1999) was set up by bilateral treaty between the governments of New Zealand and the United States of America in 1948 to administer the Fulbright Programme in New Zealand. New Zealand was the fifth country to join the programme, and is now one of over 150 participating countries.
Fulbright New Zealand is jointly funded by the US and New Zealand governments with additional funding from award sponsors, private philanthropists, and alumni donors. It is governed by a twelve-member Board of Directors comprised of six New Zealanders and six Americans.
Approximately eight awards are granted annually, valued at up to US$40,000 (plus NZ$4,000 travel funding) for up to one year of study or research in the US. Students undertaking multi-year Masters or PhD degrees have the opportunity to apply for additional funding of up to US$30,000 towards their second year of study.
