Tayla and her family when she graduated with her Bachelor of Pharmacy before starting her Master of Clinical Pharmacy focussing on indigenous experiences of healthcare in rural areas.
When she’s not working part-time as a hospital pharmacist, part-time as an equity pharmacist, or studying for her Masters, Tayla Cadigan (Ngāi Tahu Makaawhio) directs her attention to matters of the heart - offering her services as a marriage celebrant.
The union of these different worlds comes from her innate generosity and drive to help people - whether through physical healing or a loving connection.
The Hokitika-born wahine says her upbringing and personality, mixed with her ADHD diagnosis, means she just can’t help but busy herself with helping others.
This led her to pursuing a Master of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of Otago, focussing on indigenous experiences of healthcare in rural areas, as well as her part-time role as an equity pharmacist, as both these roles involve her identifying and removing healthcare barriers for those most in need.
And she still manages to fit in a part-time role at Te Nīkau Hospital in Greymouth, where she is a rotational on-call pharmacist seven days at a time.
Her journey to ordination began in 2021 at Otago’s Dunedin campus, while she was completing her Bachelor of Pharmacy, when a close friend asked if she would be her wedding celebrant.
“Since that very special experience, I’ve continued to marry people - averaging about four weddings per season,” Tayla says.
“I’ve had the pleasure of seeing many beautiful ceremonies and I’m looking forward to being not only the celebrant, but also a bridesmaid at a special wedding in the near future.”
Tayla says connecting and supporting people, whether in their healthcare, cultural identity, or marriage journey, comes from the same place – having a passion for giving.
“My love language is giving,” Tayla says.
As a Māori pharmacist, Tayla feels like she can truly give back to her community and the people who need it most.
Growing up she felt disconnected from her identity but this changed after she arrived at the University of Otago.
The Māori Centre – Te Huka Mātauraka reached to her and, while she still felt out of place with her heritage being fair-skinned and blue eyed, she eventually felt more comfortable relating to her whakapapa.
She is grateful for the kindness the Centre showed her, especially during her first year in Health Sciences, and additionally thanks her current supervisors for the support they are showing her now - Dr Lisa Kremer, Associate Professor Alesha Smith and Dr Jo Hikaka.
Kōrero by Kelsey Swart, Division of Health Sciences Communications Adviser