VUW Women in Tech Profiles

What I do impacts, not just the ministry, but New Zealanders and countries in the Pacific, as well as their people. It’s overwhelming being asked to coordinate meetings between New Zealand and major allies or ensuring that we fund programmes to the tune of millions in order to contribute to the safety and security of others in the Pacific.

I'm constantly learning new concepts and technologies, and getting my first chance to do real projects.

Failure isn’t failure if you learn something from it – then it becomes a stepping stone. People don't like to talk about bad times so it's hard to know, but more ‘successful people’ than you may realise bombed at something else before they started succeeding.

Always be curious. Asking questions and challenging existing ideas will make you more open-minded and lead you to opportunities you never knew you had.

I found out about Teach First NZ I knew I wanted to apply for it and since then no regrets at all. I love what I do. I live for it.

For me personally, coming out of University at the age of 20, I really wanted to be part of something that had some kind of relevance.

Stats NZ has been a place that has opened my eyes to the public sector, data and how it affects different communities, the power of my lived experience and my voice as a young Pacific person.