Mother and son graduation moment goes viral

_{Nikoda Devereux's solo haka had the Woolfbrook Arena spellbound}

It’s happened again. A moment captured by Ara Institute of Canterbury’s graduation livestream team has touched hearts around the world.

Graduating with a New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Level 4), Cristal Devereux was already overwhelmed with joy and nerves at Ara’s Spring graduation ceremony.

The qualification, specialising in mental health and addiction support, marked the completion of her first academic study and a huge milestone for her and her whānau.

When her 12-year-old son Nikoda, high in the stands at Wolfbrook arena, performed a powerful haka to honour his mum’s achievement, the stadium was spellbound.

_{Raw emotions take over as Cristal's gaze meets her son on his feet}

Cristal described her son as her number one supporter. “Feeling that love and pride way down at the foot of the stage in that moment, I couldn’t help breaking down in ‘ugly crying’,” she laughed.

Since then, she’s watched the clip on repeat and, after sharing it on her Tik Tok account, almost 800,000 others have done the same. “I can’t stop watching it! I’m just in awe of my son and the wairua he holds,” she said.

Watch the clip from the graduation livestream here.

Among the 2500 comments were many words of aroha (love) and admiration for her young man too. One person wrote that Nikoda had “owned the arena” and another said: “this made me cry – well done māmā and well done son”.

Cristal said Nikoda, who’s a cultural leader at his school, is pretty happy to be responsible for making his mum’s socials blow up. She’s just happy to have the video to treasure and said it might just come out at Nikoda’s 21st.

1,400 graduates had qualifications conferred (well over 400 in person) at the event last Friday.

The ages of graduates ranged from 15 to 75 years. Almost 200 degrees, 34 postgraduate and masters qualifications and 780 Level 3 and 4 certificates were awarded.

The afternoon ceremony was rich in celebration with voices in harmony, emotion-filled tautoko and the occasional “chehoo” reverberating in the stadium.

This isn’t the only haka from an Ara graduation ceremony to capture attention.
Back in 2023, Kiisha Rose Woodhouse was celebrated with a haka from her partner in honour of her achievement. Ara mum and baby graduation clip goes viral - Ara

Cristal is reaching for further study goals with plans to study te reo Māori later this year.

No doubt, her whānau standing beside her every step of the way.