A vaka journey in Pacific education: Become an academic mentor

Abstract

Education for Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand is a contentious issue and for a long time has focused on the negative experiences Pacific people face in school and in higher education. The purpose of this article is to detail the key experiences I have endured as a Pacific student and academic, and the observations I have made of them. The nature and purpose of Pacific education remains full of challenges, but I contend that it is also a space where younger Pacific peoples can mark their ground if supported well. As part of the vaka journey through this article, I provide a brief description of some of the educational achievement issues for Pacific education. Then I explore my interest in the topic of leadership, the rationale for the personal mentoring journey I outline. Finally, I propose a clearer understanding of how educators can more fully develop mentors and mentoring initiatives for Pacific students that will lead them to more successful engagement in higher education institutions in New Zealand.