My name is Truely Harding, and I am a proud Māori student studying at The University of Waikato. I am a PhD candidate in the third year of my studies and intend on submitting my final thesis at the end of next year. My PhD explores Māori health communication issues as I am passionate about improving the health inequities indigenous people face and removing barriers for access to health care. Another passion of mine is Māori success, for the last 2 years I served as a co-president for the Māori student group at the University of Waikato, Te Waiora, which has a membership of 324 tertiary students. This gave me the opportunity to advocate for Māori students on campus and establish key relationships within the university while playing a small part in the development of future Māori leaders. I believe that Māori educational success lies in the application of the knowledge they have gained while being in a tertiary institute. To me this shows the capability of turning theory into practice. I am also 1 of 8 rangatahi (youth) Māori who recently travelled to Japan to engage in a cultural exchange with the Ainu Indigenous people. From this experience, we will create a documentary web-series to be used as a resource to equip any youth from any walk of life the opportunity to engage meaningfully and build connections regionally, nationally and internationally on their own terms.