Role

Kendra started working with Te Rito Maioha as a lecturer in 2022. Her area of expertise is teaching and mentoring 1st year Pasifika students and community to provide support for early childhood education and research. In her role as a Pasifika Kaiako, Kendra teaches the undergraduate and postgraduate courses. She is also responsible for mentoring 1st year students, early childhood education and research. Kendra is also the Curriculum Advisor Pasifika Kaitohutohu Marautanga Pasifika, where she plays a vital role in shaping the curriculum at Te Rito Maioha.

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Education Background

Kendra comes from a family of teachers. It was her husband’s grandpa (who was a school principal in Tonga) who inspired Kendra to pursue a career in teaching. Since then, she has enjoyed every opportunity in teaching and continues to inspire others on her way.

Kendra volunteers as a Niue champion of change for Nga Vaka and the Cause Collective. Currently, she is working on a project to design a framework to combat family violence. She also completed a research project for Ministry for Pacific peoples in 2022.

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Research Background

Kendra is in the process of submitting her doctoral proposal to AUT. She is passionate about research on relationships between the Pasifika and Niue community. Kendra’s research interest also includes higher education, under 5s learning and development, and Pasifika worldviews.

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Teaching Interests

Kendra sees teaching as a way of sharing and passing on the taonga (treasure) of knowledge, learning, and research with her students. She believes teaching is a continuous learning journey and is always looking for opportunities to learn more