Evergreen Autumn 2017 online

Alumni Leaders
Arihia Bennett
Arihia Bennett recently performed a karakia and on behalf of mana whenua, welcomed our
full school community to the new school year at the St Margaret’s Pōwhiri. She was astounded
by what she saw.
Arihia, the first female Chief Executive of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, attended St Margaret’s
in the 70’s; a time when recognition of iwi and Māori culture was almost nil. She recalls only
one teacher pronouncing her name correctly during her four years at St Margaret’s and remembers
attending elocution lessons to develop the ‘St Margaret’s girl plum posh accent’, during lunch
while her friends enjoyed custard squares from the tuck shop.
The Pōwhiri, she says, was over whelming and a far cry from days gone by; seeing the whole
school - parents, girls, teachers - coming together and welcoming cultural diversity with such
poise and respect was an experience she admits, left her speechless.
Reflecting on her journey after St Margaret’s, she confesses she is fiercely independent but
looking back and talking to a younger Arihia, she says, if she could, she’d encourage herself
to find coaches, supporters and mentors who believed in her enough to see the good, bad
and the ugly and still stand by her.
She encourages our young women to build their sense of courage and confidence as early
as possible. The professional world can be highly male dominated and one of the potential
setbacks she has experienced is the fear and anxiety of being surrounded by a number of males.
‘If you are well equipped with knowledge and information – you are competent – all you need
is the confidence and courage to expound and articulate that information.’
However, these three ‘C’s’ are nothing without compassion and character. No matter how difficult
or how great the situation, Arihia talks of knowing how to stand in another person’s shoes and not
lose yourself along the way.
‘As you move into leadership positions or into a challenge, happiness really matters – it reduces
the fear and brings a sense of calmness. In a highly judgemental society it is imperative
to surround yourself with people who care and no matter the context remember to have character,
be confident, courageous, competent and compassionate and enjoy yourself.’
They say you shouldn't take yourself too seriously, and at Sweet Revenge we don't – fun is paramount!
That being said we take taste very seriously, and only sell what we know is delicious to the last bite.
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