Now, after a decade and having had three children in the first three years of her PhD, Rachel (Vaisala, Savai’i) is graduating with a doctorate in Pacific Studies from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. She worked throughout her study first at Te Papa Tongarewa, and now serves as Senior Pacific Historian at Manatū Taonga—Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
The loss of someone close to her, as well as the demands of a student lifestyle, led to failure in her early courses at university. Ready to hand in her withdrawal slip, she walked into an intensive PASI 101 session that Dr Teaiwa was teaching, and realised she wanted to stay and do Pacific Studies.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Pacific Studies and Education, Rachel taught English in South Korea for a couple of years, and then moved to the Middle East for a year. On her return to Aotearoa New Zealand, Dr Teaiwa suggested Rachel do an honours year.
Upon finishing her Honours, Rachel earned a scholarship to do her PhD, with Dr Teaiwa as her supervisor. Following the journeys of Pasifika English language teachers’ to South Korea, her thesis explores a lesser-known pathway of Pacific skilled migration. Her research unpacks Pasifika women’s motivations for migration, in-person and digital experiences of transnationalism, and highlights the transcultural capital and skills these migrants use while abroad.
Dr Teaiwa died of cancer in 2017 at the age of 48, and is greatly missed by many, including Rachel.
“She's truly amazing,” Rachel says. “Such a big loss. Teresia would introduce you to a whole new way of looking at the Pacific and understanding yourself. For me, this was closely linked to identity and heritage, but also gave me an appreciation for the region, which up until that point wasn't quite clear for me. She taught me to always be proud of your culture, where you come from and its immense value to the world.”
Professor Brigitte Bönisch-Brednich was Rachel’s co-supervisor along with Dr Teaiwa. Dr Lorena Gibson from Cultural Anthropology, and Dr April Henderson, Programme Director of Va'aomanū Pasifika—Programme in Pacific Studies and Samoan Studies, stepped in to assist Rachel alongside Dr Bönisch-Brednich after Dr Teaiwa passed away.
“The writing changed so much,” Rachel says. “I probably produced two PhDs, with my thinking and grieving and trying to hold on to snippets that we had discussed, and then trying to evolve with the research project itself was quite a journey. At times the pace of writing felt turtle-like, and at others especially near the end, Usain Bolt-like in speed. “It was tough to navigate, but I was really fortunate to have so much support from work, from the University, my whānau, and our church.
“To get to this point is massive. To try and honour the faith and the belief that Teresia had in myself and all her students, and reciprocate everything she imparted to us. If it wasn’t for Teresia, thinking about her memory and legacy, I wouldn’t be at this point.”
Rachel also credits her family and her church for their support, and for laying the foundations that made it possible for her to earn her PhD.
She was the first in both her family and her small church to get a university degree, but she says, “If you're the first, it's not because of you. It's because of everyone around you making it happen, allowing you. It’s a privileged position.
“I'm proud of what we've been able to do, but I'm always very conscious that I was put in this position by my parents, extended family, and decisions that were made before I came along that even allowed me to say, ‘I want to study at uni’.
“Honouring those that paved the way is more important than the person that gets to step in.”
For Rachel, her work at Manatū Taonga is about trying to make Pacific histories available and accessible to the public. “None of it would have been possible without PASI, and the critical toolkit that Pacific Studies gives you,” she says. “I'm very grateful for that.”