Tina Toki is a registered drug and alcohol counsellor, a Mental Health and Addiction graduate from the University of Auckland, and a proud Tongan.
To be in the field, it’s really nice to have more people with brown skin, with the understanding of what cultural barriers can be, and being a familiar face on the front line working in the community.
Tina’s journey into the vital mental health and addiction support field was made possible through her hard work and with support from Le Va’s Futures that Work scholarship.
A few years ago, Tina felt she couldn’t afford further study. “Even though I was working full time, I had a lot of family responsibilities,” she recalls.
“My aunty pushed me to apply for the scholarship because I was already working in the addictions field.” That encouragement proved life-changing for Tina.
“The scholarship definitely boosted my confidence in chasing after my studies and my academic life. It took off the financial burden and allowed me to focus on studying full time and also working full time. It definitely helped and I think it came in clutch during that time.”
Since becoming a Futures that Work recipient – her first time applying for a scholarship – Tina has become an advocate for others.
“I definitely encourage my cousins and a lot of people I know who are wanting to study, but get stressed out about the idea of more study, student loans. So it’s definitely something that I always push people to try out.”
Now, still working in the field, Tina understands why representation matters so deeply.
“To be in the field it’s really nice to have more people with brown skin, with the understanding of what cultural barriers can be, and being a familiar face on the front line working in the community.”
Her presence – and that of Futures that Work scholarship recipients like her – makes all the difference for Pasifika communities seeking culturally informed mental health and addiction support.
