Why? She knows first-hand the potential education has to empower individuals, uplift families and transform communities.

“I’ve always been eager to give back to my community, especially Māori and Pasifika families,” says Losana, whose dad is Samoan and mum is afakasi (a Samoan person with some European ancestry).

“Education Unlimited gives me the chance to do exactly that. I get to work with adults whose childhood education may have failed them, helping them build skills and confidence, and grow personally and professionally. But even more importantly, helping adults in their learning really supports their children too, and builds generational knowledge within their families.”

This generational knowledge is vital for whanau and communities to thrive. “Last year I spent a lot of time reflecting on my life, looking into generational trauma, thinking about how my parents were treated by their parents, the lack of resources that were available, and how that impacted on my sister and I.

“Dad never finished school and he did the same factory job for 12 years, but he recently showed us that we don’t have to be stuck in one job or do the same thing all the time. A graffiti artist since 1991, last year he gained the confidence to put himself out there and use his artistic skills to start his own clothing brand. His business is doing really well now to the point where he has resigned from his job and now produces clothes full-time. It’s really been an awesome experience for me and my whanau to witness.”

While Losana (Sana) and her dad are super-close, she was raised by her mum – her greatest inspiration.

“Mum didn’t finish school either but after having me and my sister she enrolled at university and gained a Bachelor of Education in order to pursue her dream of becoming a primary school teacher. She’s been teaching for the past 18 years and has been an incredible role model for me. She was a single mum who put herself through university while raising two kids – she inspires me to always do better and take any opportunities I can.”

Initially Losana set her sights on becoming a high school history teacher, but her Bachelor of Education studies were cut short when she fell off a skateboard, breaking her kneecap into three pieces.

“I was in a cast for ten weeks from my thigh to my ankle, I had three surgeries, and had to learn to walk again so I pulled out of university. Just as I was starting to walk again I broke my ACL, which was another huge setback. It was a pretty terrible time to be honest.”

Once Losana was mobile enough to work she picked up a role at the Air New Zealand call centre (“I needed a job where I was sitting down”), but her desire to empower others through education was never far from mind. Eventually she was able to return to the education sector, spending four years working in early childhood before joining the team at Education Unlimited.

“Starting here has been a big transition from ECE but I’m absolutely loving it. I love Education Unlimited’s kaupapa and the fact that they’re here for people who don’t necessarily have basic life skills, such as numeracy and literacy. I feel like a lot of people don’t appreciate how challenging life can be because they have grown up with these skills, but when I meet someone who doesn’t have them it makes me sad because I wonder how they’re coping in life without them.”

Through her own personal experience and upbringing, Losana is able to connect and relate to many Education Unlimited learners as she supports them on their journeys of learning and growth. And after several years of soul searching, she reckons she’s finally found her fit.

“I’ve always wanted to do something like this but I haven’t been given the opportunity until now. I’m really happy to be working for a business that invests in people - and I really appreciate the fact that Tina and Education Unlimited have invested in me.”

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