What are you studying?
Studying towards a Bachelor of Computer System: Cybersecurity and Networking at Unitec Institute of Technology in Tāmaki Makaurau.
Where do you whakapapa from?
Samoa: Hapai Manono Tai, Leauva’a, Levi and Lefaga aka paradise.
What mahi did you work on?
I was in the National Accounts team, in the Product Supply and Use unit, where we deal with product supply-use unit, where we balance the expenditure and production (GDP). I was assigned to work on a revision run for Central Government and Local Government. This is the 2020 Central Government revision run-by-run, published output from March to September 2022, same with the 2021 Central Government revision as well as Local Government revision 2020 and 2021 run-by-run.
Working on these revisions was quite challenging as a new starter with little experience, but with the help and guidance from my team, I managed to understand the mahi and find it interesting to work on the different types of data, and the importance of it to all of Aotearoa NZ. I was able to bring my knowledge of computer systems and lived experience to the table when completing work. This made me more comfortable bringing more of myself to mahi and being confident in the skills I already had, and the new skills I was learning.
Thank you so much Stats NZ for your investment and time in my skills, my thinking and me as a young Pacific public servant. Shout out to all the support I received outside from my team – this includes Pacific staff who always looked out for us and pushed us to work harder and speak up, but most of all my fellow interns. The journey we shared together is one I am grateful for and will never forget – proud of all of you.
What advice would you give future interns?
Give it a go, you won’t learn if you don’t try.
Favourite quote?
“True success is overcoming the fear of being unsuccessful.” – Paul Sweeney