Craig Shepherd

He has grown up on the fringes of Te Ao Māori, having whānau that had this knowledge and lived it well, but he and his immediate whānau lived far away from them all.

Shep grew up with the desire to know Te Reo Māori and had to gain it by study and other means. He says, "I understand what it means to learn the language from nothing."

Over the past ten years he has worked as a Kaimahi a Rangatahi (Youth Social Worker) at Whakatū Marae and here now at NMIT as a tutor.

Since working at the marae, he has been surrounded by Te Ao Māori and has loved and made the most of his opportunities and all the exposure he has and is gaining.

All this has driven him to grow in his own ability in Te Reo Māori not just for himself but for his whānau as well.