On Tuesday 14th June, six senior students were selected to attend an influential leadership conference, ‘Young Free and Pacific’. The conference brought together young Pacific women across a variety of schools in Auckland. The day was filled with inspirational guest speakers and performances, various workshops, some good talanoa and food.
The event offered students the opportunity outside of school to feel empowered and confident, as guest speakers shared their own life stories about their personal struggles and success. At the end of the day students were encouraged to speak up and share their own insights from the workshops given. For many of our students this was the highlight of the day; seeing other young pasifika women their own age performing songs and sharing their poetry. There were tears, laughs and a lot of applauding, but more importantly the students valued being in a supportive environment where they felt comfortable to embrace their identity, both as a woman and as pasifika.