New Zealand's only scholarship to support Māori high school students to gain admission to top global universities has been awarded to five high school students ahead of Matariki, the celebration of the Māori New Year, with the awards gala held in Auckland on Sunday, June 23.

The scholarship was founded to encourage young Maori to embark on a journey to discover their greatest potential at the world's most competitive universities.

Each student will receive personalised mentoring and education services worth $20,000 to help them apply for and get accepted into their dream university, and to help them to make an impact on their community and the global stage.

This year's winning students hail from all across the country - Christchurch, Wellington, Northland, Tauranga and Auckland. Recipients include: Year 11 student Muriwai Morris from King's College, Auckland; Year 12 student Charlotte James from Hagley College, Christchurch; Year 13 student Angel Harbers from Kaitaia College in Northland; Year 13 student Akira McTavish-Huriwai, from Tauranga Girls' College; and Year 12 student Andrew Latta from Wellington College.

Four of the five finalists are young women, aiming to enter the fields of Medicine, Law, Politics and Astrophysics. Their higher education goals range from studying at top New Zealand universities to Oxford in the UK and Caltech in the US.

The fifth scholarship recipient, Andrew, dreams of attending an Ivy League university. All winners have their sights set on making a difference for the Māori community.

Finalists, their families, friends, teachers and community mentors attended the celebration, with Korey Te Hira delivering a keynote address, reflecting on his experience pursuing a Master of Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Crimson Education CEO and Co-founder Jamie Beaton, who founded the scholarship program in 2017 says this year's winners displayed a truly global outlook, among qualities of leadership, community-mindedness and resilience.

'For three years now this scholarship has shined a light on the incredible contributions young Māori leaders have made in their community and see the Te Ara a Kupe Beaton Scholarship as a launching pad to extend their impact onto the global stage.

'The 2019 scholarship winners have overcome adversity, many facing a lack of resources and without a path paved to top-ranked universities, to have stood out as exceptional candidates who will make a lasting difference in fields of Medicine, Law, Tech and Physics.

'We are also proud to look back at last year's winners who have taken strides towards medical school, continue to prepare to attend top US colleges and for one incredible winner, Anais Magner, secured a scholarship to attend Mt Holyoke College, the oldest institution in the female equivalent of the Ivy League, the Seven Sisters,” he says.

Anais spoke of Anais' incredible accomplishment earlier, saying since receiving the scholarship, she has received both NCEA level 2 and 3 with excellence endorsements and was a part of the Crimson Harvard and Yale MUN delegation held earlier this year.

The Te Ara a Kupe Beaton Scholarship has helped her to receive an 80% scholarship to Mount Holyoke College.

Fellow panel member Shay Wright, Co-Founder of Te Whare Hukahuka and Forbes 30 Under 30 listee, was a returning judge this year, as was John Morris, Sharndre Kushor and Jamie Beaton.

Shay says regardless of which field the recipients specialise in, or which university they attend, each of them has demonstrated incredible merit, and that the scholarship comes with an obligation back to their Māori communities to help more Māori be successful.

Crimson Education believes in the power of personalised education and mentoring. The Te Ara a Kupe Beaton Scholarship program is designed to support students with expert guidance and resources that enable young New Zealanders to shine.

The scholarship was created to honour the adventurous spirit of Kupe, an eponymous Māori ancestor who first discovered New Zealand, and in so doing serves as a reminder to young Māori students of the incredible legacy of pioneering, bravery and innovation that they can embody.