Otago tauira and College of Education kaimahi Karina Nafatali, pictured here in her shared office, graduates with her Master of Indigenous Studies tomorrow. In her roles, she is privileged to be involved with every UOCE student’s journey, she says.
For Karina Nafatali, crossing the graduation stage tomorrow represents not only a string of finished assignments, but a culmination of full-circle moments across her personal, professional, and educational journeys.
The University of Otago College of Education (UOCE) kaimahi and former primary and secondary school teacher has completed her Master of Indigenous Studies (MIndS), with a research kaupapa focused on retracing her own steps through schooling to understand how we can create learning spaces in which Pacific tauira can thrive.
Born in Samoa, Karina’s family migrated to Ōtepoti Dunedin when she was just an infant. Since then, she has been grateful to call Dunedin home, she says.
“Dunedin has been my world, basically.
“The Pacific story of coming to New Zealand is to have a better life. Not necessarily for yourself, but for your children. That’s what my parents offered us.”
As she moved through school, she found herself feeling disengaged with learning. Her school life and home life felt distinct from one another, an experience she describes as confusing and often isolating.
“School was okay... but it wasn’t brilliant,” she says.
She went on to complete a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Geography at Otago – pursuing her best high school subject – but she still felt a sense of going through the motions, and graduation brought relief rather than joy.
After working in hospitality in the years following her graduation, the irregular working hours eventually prompted Karina to turn to further study; namely, the one-year Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Primary) through the Dunedin College of Education (now UOCE).
“I applied for the course and I got in and it honestly just changed my world.”
She started working at Kaikorai Valley College almost immediately after finishing her Diploma, marking the beginning of a richly rewarding teaching career.
“It was a late application and I got it.
“I haven’t really looked back from teaching since then.”
Sadness struck Karina’s whānau when her father passed away in 2017, and her brother passed away a year later.
After 22 years of teaching, she knew she needed time away from work to grieve.
“There was lots happening. I applied for study leave.”
She began the MIndS in 2020, but paused her study over 2021-2022 to support her family through hardship.
It was during this time she began working at UOCE, where she is now a Senior Professional Practice Fellow and the College’s Pasifika Co-ordinator. In these roles, she is privileged to be involved with every UOCE student’s journey, she says.
“It is pretty special.
“Somewhere along the line, I teach every student that comes through here!”
“Hopefully my stories will influence, or support, future teachers to teach Pasifika learners.” – Karina Nafatali
Having already completed her compulsory papers, it was just the research project left to tackle when she picked her Masters back up in 2023.
With support from supervisor Professor Karen Nairn, Karina changed her research focus, and felt her mahi coming into alignment.
“My research is an autoethnography about my learning journey. It’s kind of like the concept of ‘how would I be if I were to go back and teach myself’?
“Hopefully my stories will influence, or support, future teachers to teach Pasifika learners.”
Values such as love, care, empathy, respect, and service to others constitute Karina’s worldview.
“If there’s anything it is about, it’s my values of who I am as Pacific that have guided me through this.”
Service is the biggest driver behind her mahi – in her studies, in her work life, in her many community roles, and with her family – as embodied by her parting words to future teachers at the end of each year:
“You’re going to be teaching my family, and I want them to have a good experience with learning in New Zealand, and this is my service to them.”
Karina Nafatali dedicates her degree to her parents, Oloialii Unite Nafatali and Samata Nafatali, pictured. “The Pacific story of coming to New Zealand is to have a better life ... That’s what my parents offered us,” Karina says.
Karina’s family are “really excited” about her graduation, she says.
It’s a packed schedule on the day, starting with the Pacific pre-graduation ceremony, followed by the George Street procession, where she’ll be accompanied by her mum and three great-nephews.
She’ll then cross the stage to receive her degree at the Town Hall, and will finish off with a dinner at the restaurant her family have always gone to for celebrations.
“This is what’s exciting for me, is that I’m surrounded by the people who got me through. Family, colleagues, friends. My village.
“Everything’s quite symbolic.”
As for Karina’s next steps after graduating, she’s already got that sorted – on 1 February 2026, she’ll take on a new title as the Associate Dean Pacific of the College of Education.
“I’m all about the whole ‘things are meant to be’, and I feel that’s what has happened here.
“To be able to come back and teach teachers has been... I guess, my calling.”
- Kōrero by Social Media Adviser Elizabeth Purvis