Mount Maunganui College Bachelor of Social Science, University of Waikato

Born in Auckland and raised in Tauranga, Faith Anderson grew up in a small but tight family unit. As she puts it, “My family has always just been my mum and me and other close family friends around us.”

Losing her mum two years ago was life changing, but she remains grounded by the support of those around her and the resilience she’s built through challenge. Despite navigating a lot at a young age, she has continued to pursue the things that bring her joy and spark her curiosity – creative hobbies like sewing, cross stitch, painting, and reading, as well as her long held love of cricket, a sport she played from the age of five.

She also has a deep fascination with crime, investigation, and mystery, saying she loves “any sort of murder mystery games, books, movies and documentaries.” This lifelong interest ultimately inspired her academic path and her dream of becoming a criminal investigator.

Receiving the Milford Scholarship transformed her future. She shares openly that she hadn’t planned to attend university because of financial barriers, explaining that the scholarship lifted “the added stress of money” and made study possible. For her, the support she’s received is deeply personal. “Thank you’ doesn’t even cover it,” she says.

Studying at the University of Waikato allows her to stay close to home while gaining the skills she needs for her chosen career. Above all, she hopes to make a difference by reminding others to show compassion, recognising that “this is all our first time living”. Confident, bold, and determined, she jokes: “My personality is too big to fit into one sentence! LOL.”