E rere kau mai te awa nui, mai I te kahui maunga ki tangaroa. Ko au te awa ko te awa ko au.

The mighty river flows from the mountain to the sea, I am the river and the river is me.

I hail from the west coast Whanganui River to the northern and the southern tribes of Taranaki, the beautiful east coast Tokomaru Bay and across the Pacific Ocean to the beautiful Cook Island of Mangaia. Firstly, I acknowledge the people of these lands, and in particular, Ngàti Whàtua Òràkei who have also become my beautiful whānau.

I discovered my passion for education when I first attended Te Kōhanga Reo alongside my babies. It was there that I felt a deep sense of purpose, which led me to pursue this path wholeheartedly—work that continues to nourish my soul.

My passion and aspiration are for my culture and language to not only survive, but to truly thrive. I believe that in order to grow the future leaders of Aotearoa, our tamariki must be grounded in the histories of this land. Through understanding the past, they are empowered to make sense of the present and to step confidently into the future as thoughtful, critical citizens.