Media Release
Rugby Injury Has Upside For EIT Graduate
While breaking a hand scuppered Isaiah Martin’s senior rugby season last year, the accident may also have propelled him
to top design graduate at EIT.
Isaiah graduated Bachelor of Visual Arts and Design last week and said his extended family could have filled an entire
row in Napier’s Municipal Theatre. However, it was his proud parents, travelling from their home near Taihape, who
claimed the allocated seats to see their older son capped.
Isaiah was the first member of his immediate family to graduate with a degree. However, younger brother Elijah, in his
second year at EIT, is hard on his heels studying for his Bachelor of Visual Arts and Design.
Always keen on pursuing art, Isaiah took it as one of his subjects when he was a boarder at Napier Boys’ High School.
The focus then, he says, was mainly on painting.
It was his first semester at EIT– when new degree students were encouraged to experiment with different media – that
sparked his interest in graphic design.
“EIT’s ideaschool has good equipment, and there are all the new software programmes. You can do so much with them.”
Isaiah was supported in his studies with a Year 13 Study Grant paying the fees for his first year and a half at EIT.
A gifted sportsman as well as a talented artist, he was playing blind flanker for Napier Technical Old Boys premier team
in about the fifth game of the season when another player landed awkwardly on his hand. Isaiah broke a bone in his wrist
and, even more significantly, badly tore the joint controlling his index finger.
He had a metal plate inserted in his hand, which has given him back the ability to use a computer keyboard. But for a
few weeks after the accident he couldn’t use the injured hand at all. With rugby ruled out for the rest of the season,
he threw himself into his studies.
Flatting close to EIT, Isaiah was able to walk to campus and he continued beavering away on assignments after hours and
at weekends.
“I was always in here after the accident and I think it did help a little bit in getting me the top design graduate
award. The lecturers all say that anyway, although I was definitely surprised to get the award.”
Isaiah enjoyed studying for his degree. Taught by lecturers with extensive workplace experience, he says he and his
classmates developed the wide range of skills needed to succeed as professional practitioners.
His plans now are to study for the Graduate Diploma in Teaching at EIT and, later on, to travel to Australia and Europe.
More circumspect about his future in rugby, he says he will weigh up whether he plays again in 2014 – “but I may get
back into golf”.
Caption: Isaiah works up pencil sketches in developing design drawings for his final-year portfolio.
ENDS