A lifetime of giving lives on in new Ara | Te Pūkenga scholarship

_{Annie Currie’s determination to help others lives on a new scholarship at Ara} 

A trained nurse, psychotherapist and creative - Annie Currie had a sense of adventure and an infectious joy for life described as rare. 

She passed away in 2021 from a long illness after a lifetime of striving to expand her mind and encouraging others to do the same.  Now her warm and generous spirit will live on in a new scholarship offering for women studying at Ara |Te Pūkenga. 

Annie Currie Legacy Fund Trustee Chris Turton said Currie’s wishes were to “help young women to educate themselves and to preserve and protect natural environments.”  

“Annie had strong values around education, sustainability, creativity, spirituality, and helping others,” Turton added. “While deeply creative, her paintings and pottery were quirky and full of whimsy.  Her joy was in the doing and the being and in seeing delight in others.” 

Currie grew up in Dunedin, educated herself as a nurse in Christchurch and worked in Burwood hospital’s burns unit early in her career before going on to tutor in nursing. 

Later, while living in Nelson, she discovered psychodrama, committed herself to personal development. She went on to qualify as a psychodramatist and become a registered psychotherapist.  

“Over the years, Annie helped people from all walks of life with counselling and personal and professional development courses,” said Turton. “She especially saw the need to help young women improve themselves and to break through barriers and traumas that their upbringing may have put them through.” 

The Ara | Te Pūkenga Annie Currie scholarship is open to women who have completed at least one year of a bachelor level qualification in applied sciences, medical imaging, musculoskeletal health, midwifery or nursing. 

Eligible ākonga must demonstrate financial hardship in their application for the $10,000 offering. Full eligibility and application details can be found on our website: Annie Currie Scholarship - Ara 

Applied Sciences and Social Practice Head of Department Dr Michael Shone said “We are delighted to see this new scholarship offering for students in these areas of study from such an inspiring benefactor. I’m sure many women will seek this out as they navigate their degree or post graduate study.” 

Ara Te Pūkenga Operations Lead Karen Te Puke said Ara’s scholarship team had been grateful to work with the trust. 

“This is an incredibly generous new scholarship for us, and we look forward to it being part of helping more of our learners as they progress in their studies,” she said. 

Turton said it was an honour to distribute the funds and added “Annie would simply say ‘use it well, keep on doing your good work and keep developing yourself’. This new Ara scholarship for women underway with degree level study in health is a perfect fit.” 

Applications are open for the month of September.