Maia Kupai-Ashby

I am a first-year student pursuing a conjoint bachelor’s degree in commerce and science, majoring in Psychology and international business. As a Māori student attending Waipapa Taumatarau, one of my main aspirations and goals is to see more Māori tertiary education. I want to be a role model for other tangata Māori, especially my whanau, to encourage them in pursuing whatever they want.

I aspire to be an encouraging figure and apply my knowledge of mātauranga Māori within any given environment to further educate my peers and the wider society.

In the future, as mentioned, I am working towards establishing my clinic that will help cater to the health needs of our Māori and Pasifika communities. I have chosen this particular audience because I feel that overall in society, the mental health needs of these individuals are not fully addressed and adequately cared for. Furthermore, there is a significant difference in understanding due to the diverse cultural backgrounds of these communities. I feel that creating a space where these cultural beliefs are understood and considered will boost people’s ability to fully express themselves because it creates an environment in which they feel more understood and further creates a space that they recognize and are familiar with.

The steps I will take to achieve this goal are to complete my undergraduate studies.

After completing my undergraduate degree, I hope to gain a graduate internship and more experience in the required fields to achieve my goals. In the years leading up to becoming a psychologist, I will work on networking with people that can support my journey to where I need to go.

This year alone, I have attended a Māori and Pasifika psychologist event, including a panel of Māori and Pasifika psychologists speaking about their experiences in the field. This discussion further encouraged me to get more involved as they discussed insufficient support for our people within society today.

What were the major outcomes of this kaupapa? 

Entering my second year of university has definitely been a large adjustment. I have since enrolled in the desired university papers I need to take in order to reach my goal (something that has been made possible from the help of this funding). This year I am aiming to take more opportunities to make connections and broaden my understandings. I have started to look at internship possibilities for the summer time and am eager and nervous as the possibility arises.

What were some of the challenges your kaupapa faced during its implementation?

Some of the initial challenges I faced when deciding to take on this career path, some of which I occasionally still face, are self-doubt and the fear of being unable to execute my Kaupapa properly. Failure is another challenge that stands in my way; however, to overcome these challenges, I remember my purpose, who and why I am doing this for, and all the people I have behind me supporting me through it all. I remind myself that I’m still learning. I’ve got many more things to experience and opportunities to learn from.

How did this kaupapa benefit from the Pou Herenga Tangata Award?

From receiving this funding which again I am extremely grateful for, I have been able to enroll into my second year of university at The University of Auckland. From this I will be able to continue my journey to gain the qualifications required to become a clinical psychologist.

What are your future plans for this kaupapa? 

Becoming a clinical psychologist or finding a way to nurture people is an essential kaupapa that I would like to see through into the future because this is a kaupapa that is important and relates to me. My hopes and dreams for this kaupapa are to help people who have been through many challenging times. I want to provide a space where people feel comfortable to open up and a space where they feel heard.