At 16, Helen Woolner was pregnant and about to ditch school. But instead she heard about a school for young mums and enrolled.
At 16, Helen Woolner was pregnant and about to ditch school. But instead she heard about a school for young mums and enrolled.
Helen, a former student of He Huarahi Tamariki, was the face of the Victoria University graduation ceremony in May 2009 in The Dominion Post.
Helen completed her BSc in Chemistry and went on to complete her Masters with first class honours and then a PhD in Chemistry. She was also awarded the prestigious Pacific Health Research Postdoctoral Fellowship which funded a three year research programme exploring the chemical and biological properties of traditional plant based medicines from New Zealand, Samoa and the Cook Islands.
Helen now works at Victoria University as a lecturer in Biological Sciences and has also joined the He Huarahi Tamariki Trust which administers scholarships and other support for current He Huarahi Tamariki students and graduates.
As Helen looks back on her early experiences she commented, “I never would have guessed this would be my future when I reflect back to when I was 16 and 6 months pregnant, enrolling at HHT primarily because they were offering a free lunch!”
HHT is very proud of Helen’s achievements. She is an inspiration for other teenage parents at He Huarahi Tamariki to aim high and study at tertiary level.
