“Don’t wait for opportunity – seek it” Alisia Stoian on study, scholarships, and rural town strength.
Alisia Stoian, a second-year medical student at the University of Auckland, grew up in the close-knit town of Marton nestled between Whanganui and Palmerston North. She says while her roots are rural, they’ve shaped her in powerful ways.
“I miss that sense of community, where everybody knows everyone,” Alisia reflects. “Auckland has been challenging. Even though it’s a big city, it can feel strangely small in its own way and sometimes isolating.”
Now thriving in her second year of medicine, Alisia is quick to credit a big part of her success to one crucial support, a Rural Health Scholarship.
“Medicine is hard, I won’t sugarcoat it,” she says honestly.
“Being a scholarship recipient made a huge difference. It meant that for my whole first year, I didn’t have to work. I didn’t have to worry about how I’d afford groceries, or get a laptop, or buy textbooks. I could focus fully on my studies.”
That support helped set her up for a strong academic start something she doesn’t take for granted.
“I’ve been getting A+ grades, and I know the stability I had outside the classroom played a huge part in that,” she shares.
In collaboration with Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network, there are 14 Rural Health Scholarships on offer this year, a big leap from the usual four. Alisia has a clear message for rural students across Aotearoa thinking about applying.
“Dream big and have huge, limitless ambitions!”
“Don’t let being from a small town make you think you can’t stand out in a big city. Take every opportunity that comes your way or better yet, go out and find them. Living rurally doesn’t limit you. Apply for that scholarship.”
Though she’s still figuring out exactly where her path in medicine will lead, one thing is certain:
“I want to give back to small-town, rural communities. There are real inequities out there, and I can’t pretend they don’t exist. I’m excited to see where my studies take me and how I can make a true difference.”
Interested in applying for a Rural Health Scholarship? Find out more and apply here. Applications close at the end of September 2025.