Congratulations to Charleen Vili from Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) who is the recipient of the 2025 Ria McBride Public Service Award.
Charleen will be using the award to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Statistics and Management. Here, Charleen shares what winning this award means to her.
Tēnā koutou katoa,
Ko Maiki te maunga
Ko Pikopiko i whiti te moana
Ko Ngāpuhi, Ngati Maru ngā iwi
No Kororāreka ahau, engari kei Manurewa ahau e noho ana
Ko Charleen Vili tōku ingoa
I am deeply honoured, and to be honest a little nervous, to be this year’s recipient of the Ria McBride Public Service Award to assist me in completing a Bachelor of Arts in Statistics and Management.
I hope I am able to encourage other wahine with similar stories to my own, to keep working towards their goals and remember it is never too late to take up the opportunity to study and broaden our horizons.
I grew up in a single parent household and saw the struggles and sacrifices my Mum made to ensure my brothers and I always had a roof over our heads and food in our puku. Now I am a proud mother of 3 adult sons who are beginning their own journeys through life.
With the support of them, my husband, Jeremiah, and my wider whānau, and with thanks to the Ria McBride Public Service Award scholarship, I have the opportunity to take on tertiary study that I felt unable to do until now, to achieve my leadership and career progression goals.
I hope I am able to encourage other wahine with similar stories to my own, to keep working towards their goals and remember it is never too late to take up the opportunity to study and broaden our horizons.
Ria McBride Public Service Award
The Ria McBride Public Service Award grants up to $15,000 towards tertiary study to a woman currently working in the Public Service to progress their career aspirations through tertiary academic study. The spirit of the award is to support women who demonstrate personal fortitude and leadership potential, and who generally haven’t had the opportunity or means to pursue or complete tertiary study.
The award honours the extraordinary legacy of Ria McBride, the first woman appointed Chief Clerk of the Public Service Commission, overcoming prejudice and obstacles as a woman in a then male domain. She pursued equal employment opportunities for women throughout her Public Service career and into her retirement.
For more information about the Ria McBride Public Service Award, visit the LDC website.
Ria McBride Public Service Award – LDC.govt.nz
