His koro is an influential activist, his father a councillor, and now Te Rangi Moaho Iti is preparing for his own leadership role.

He was recently named Whakatāne High School’s head boy for 2023, afterwards lining up with two previous generations of Iti men.

His proud father, Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s Kōhi Māori constituency councillor Toi Kai Rākau Iti was at Wednesday’s senior prizegiving for the announcement, along with his equally proud koro, influential Ngāi Tūhoe activist Tāme Iti.

What makes the achievement of becoming a school leader more impressive is that Te Rangi Moaho had never attended a mainstream school until last year.

Until year 11, he attended Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Maungarongo in Mount Albert, Auckland, a total immersion Māori school with only 100 students between years 1 and 13.

“For him to come quite late to the game in terms of the student body and to put his hand up and be selected as head boy is pretty huge,” his father said.

Another such proud moment came last month at the regional council’s inaugural meeting at Te Manuka Tutahi Marae, when Te Rangi Moaho led the haka after his father’s speech asking the council to vote for him as deputy chairman.

“I said, ‘I’m going to be giving a speech, my bro, you’d better come along and do a haka tautoko for me’. He goes, ‘sweet as, I’ll bring some of my mates’. Then he rocked up with 25 kids. That’s his style of leadership. He’s good like that.”

Te Rangi Moaho gives credit to the high school for making the transition to mainstream learning easy.

“While it was a big change, it was not as difficult a transition as I thought it would be,” he said. “Whakatāne High School was really welcoming and as soon as I arrived, I made some friends. I didn’t feel like I needed to let go of any of my tikanga.”

He said being around his father and grandfather for the past few years had influenced his leadership style.

“From my father, I have learned about things like how to write and give a speech for a formal situation, but also to challenge certain things. From koro, I have learned not to be apologetic about who I am.

The unapologetic yet respectful and polite young man has put those qualities into action in his school life.

"I have had many debates with teachers and challenged their ideas. I have been able to influence some of their ideas I felt could be quite harmful to some people in certain areas.”

“They have both played a large part in who I am, but it has not been only them. There are many people who have influenced me, both in school and outside of it,” he said.

Credit: Stuff.co.nz