She was born 14 weeks early, but that hasn’t held a Rotorua student back.

Te Waiarangi Merito Manley is now 15 and this year alone has received a Te Arawa rangatahi scholarship, won the Waiariki Nga Manu Korero speech competition and was involved in the Rotorua Boys’ and Girls’ High School Raukura kapa haka group which came second nationally.

Read more about Te Waiarangi here.