Connor Alexander
Into Silicon Valley
When Connor and his whānau returned to live in Aotearoa last year, his mother Helen Kaveney registered herself and her two tamariki as members of Ngāti Rārua Ātiawa Iwi Trust. They whakapapa to original owner, Hakopa.
Connor is enjoying spending time with his extended whānau and getting to know them better. He has four aunts and an uncle and several cousins who have all recently registered as members of Ngāti Rārua Ātiawa Iwi Trust.
Living in Aotearoa means Connor has the opportunity to learn about his hapū and culture. He was a participant on a Wakatū Incorporation wānanga last year and experienced a cultural journey through customary lands and learnt more about his connection to Ngāti Rārua Ātiawa Iwi Trust.
Connor is currently enrolled as a Year 12 student at Kapiti College in Paraparaumu and studying Calculus, Chemistry and Physics, along with English, Design and Visual Communication (DVC), and Mechanical Engineering.
Connor has chosen to study DVC and Physics to support his ambition to be a Naval Architect/Engineer. He has been fascinated with boats from a young age. He is passionate about physics “because of (its) potential to be gateways to better human understanding of the space around us and its many nuances.” His connection to DVC comes from it “being a way of expressing alternate worlds and abstract ideas through a visual and hands on medium.”
After hearing so much about it, Connor is looking forward to visiting Silicon Valley and seeing what it is actually like. He hopes to get information on how to lead a business, and what steps to take to actually see it through to the end. He would also like to determine if he has what it takes to work in a business team.
He is looking forward to finishing high school in Aotearoa and enrolling at a university where he can support his goal of becoming a Naval Architect. He hopes to set up a business in Aotearoa as it is a promising place for naval architects.