At just 12 years old, Tōrere student Hanene-Pounamu Porter has already shown she has the confidence and determination to make her mark, winning the junior girls’ section at a national Māori speaking competition.

Hanene-Pounamu represented the Māori Women’s Welfare League’s Ōpōtiki branch and Te Kura o Tōrere at the national Ngā Pū Kōrero o Āpōpō competition, held in Auckland as part of the League’s 75th anniversary celebrations.

The event attracted more than 2000 people to the Dewdrops Event Centre, providing a significant audience for the young speakers to share their kōrero.

Hanene-Pounamu qualified after placing first in a regional competition held at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, and further developed her oratory skills through the Kōpū Kōrero circuit before taking the national stage.

Speaking for seven minutes in front of a packed crowd was a considerable achievement for the young local, whose proud aunt Jodi Porter said she had a confidence well beyond her years.

“Hanene has a very quiet confidence. At only 12 years old she knows all her whakapapa back to the waka, and she loves her kapa haka,” Porter said.

Despite taking out the national title, Hanene-Pounamu said one of the highlights was simply being there and listening to the older students speak, an experience she considered invaluable.

For Porter, who accompanied her niece to the event, the result was a proud moment for the whole whānau.

She said Hanene-Pounamu hoped to pursue a career in teaching, inspired by her nan, who still teaches at Ōpōtiki Kindergarten, and her koro, a teaching assistant at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi.Hanene-Pounamu has spent time at Te Kura o Ōmarumutu before completing her schooling at Te Kura o Tōrere. She is now preparing to begin at Ōpōtiki College, following in the footsteps of her brother, a former head boy.

While she is initially shy about the prospect of following that example, her national success suggests she has plenty of potential to make her own mark in the years ahead.

Te Kura o Tōrere principal Wency Rewi praised Hanene-Pounamu for the example she set for other students.

“You are a shining example of rangatiratanga and a wonderful role model for our tamariki, inspiring others to embrace their potential, stand proudly in their Māoritanga and strive for excellence,” Wency said.

Porter has no doubt her niece has a bright future ahead.

“She is the kid who the world will know her name,” she said.