A mightily talented trio at the University of Auckland are not only pursuing their scholastic passion, they’ve also discovered a link that further strengthens their commitment and creativity.
Eden Vaatstra, Isla Turner and Maya Haydock are first year Master of Architecture students at the university. Initially firm friends through their studies, they later learned they had a shared connection: all are Keystone Trust scholarship recipients.
That link was recently underscored when Maya (Form Building & Developments 2025 scholarship recipient) and Eden (Study Award 2020 recipient) presented their works in progress to their peers and faculty members for constructive criticism – or ‘crit’ – at the School of Architecture. Nervous they may have been, but Isla (Russell Property 2023 scholarship recipient) was there to champion them on as they showcased their skills in detailed form.
They’d been invited to develop a masterplan for a designated redesign of a section of the Auckland suburb of Devonport, and had laboured long and hard to present their Master’s pieces. (In Eden’s case that meant staying at work until the early morning of the presentation after a misstep saw her come close to almost destroying her painstakingly created model base at the 11th hour.)
After winning plaudits from her mentor who was also a crit judge, who said the presentation was one that won commissions, Eden ended her presentation with the words: “He waka eke noa” – we’re all in this together. And that was certainly the case when she, Maya and Isla later gathered to reflect on their Trust togetherness.
Isla – who graduated with her 
Bachelor of Architecture earlier this year – put it this way: “it’s been so cool working with other architecture students through Keystone, and then meeting other people on Keystone.”
Maya – a current Keystone student – wholeheartedly agreed. “It’s really inspirational,” she said. A self-described ‘really shy’ person, Maya explained that the Trust associations have boosted her belief in herself, in terms of her knowledge and ability. Turning to her two colleagues, she added: “these two radiate confidence and ambition.”
The convergence of Keystone and university is, said Eden: “really affirming and comforting.”
As she put it: “It’s a beautiful thing to make strong friends through university and the industry”.
And that is one of the defining points about Keystone: the ties extend way beyond lecture theatres and campus life.
All three already recognise the industry benefits of being identified as a Keystone student or graduate: employers recognise the network between each discipline which gives entree to internships, and possibly future full time work. There’s mentoring at every level too. As an example, Maya pointed out Isla had been her ‘de facto’ mentor.
Being a “Keystoner” meant looking at life through a different lens, they agreed. The name and association opens doors that would otherwise be closed, they explained. Each already knows well the value of workplace experience through long-term Keystone sponsors. They also know that some companies prefer to choose Keystone students over other would-be applicants. And they’ve got each other: an association that will endure into the future. According to Eden: “Keystone provides a bedrock of connection. It becomes your thread between study and industry”
- About that work of hers that nearly came to pieces overnight: As she explained to the group: “A very kind student sat down with me and just started helping me put it back together. Slowly it was restored and I learnt that nothing is ever too broken that it can’t be fixed, adaptively reused or repurposed.”
Another challenge met with confidence and conviction.
