Helena joins the YIF by way of the blistering black sands of Aucklands’ West Coast where she was moulded by its waters and land as a surf lifeguard, a high school student and Forward as a hockey player. As the second generation of Samoan, Tokelauan, Chinese and Danish expats who migrated to Aotearoa as Labourers, she is naturally interested in many social justice issues and Pacific welfare. In 2021 she completed a Bachelor of Arts in Pacific Studies while minoring in Social Policy and Mata’upu Samoan Studies. Her name, which originates from the Greek variation for ‘light’, was chosen by her parents. Taken by the YIF’s pitch on drawing connections, Helena hopes to learn newer ways to articulate these connections in order to bring about change – by bringing everyone along.
Young India Fellowship
