So it follows that Shana spent a decade working on the MATES youth mentoring program through the Great Potentials Foundation.

“I come from a strong, traditional Samoan family, where working hard is your way of serving and giving back. I’ve had so many awesome work and educational opportunities and it’s really important I recycle that success back into my community,” says Shana.

MATES addresses the underachievement in education of disadvantaged youth in Aotearoa by connecting university students with students from low decile schools in South Auckland and Hamilton.

Te Rourou, One Aotearoa Foundation awarded Shana the World of Difference grant and a three-year extension grant, to grow the MATES program.

Shana says, “With the support of Te Rourou, One Aotearoa Foundation we were able to switch from surviving to thriving. We were able elevate the program from being a service to being an experience and positively impact thousands of disadvantaged rangatahi. Through mentoring we’re able to build longlasting relationships and change the trajectory of young people’s lives,” she adds.

Shana is now working with SouthSeas healthcare, Otara’s largest Pacific health provider. “The work I do now is policy level. I’m focused on systemic change as I want to empower our youth to have a voice and be part of the village of decision makers. I believe our rangatahi can set the horizon and drive the waka forward and my role is to support them to flourish,” she explains.

Shana feels grateful to be part of Te Rourou, One Aotearoa Foundation family and to lead through service. “Whatever it is, they’ve got some magic behind their model and it’s changing lives, more than  they know.”