He cares deeply about empowerment, equity and engagement; his portfolio of commercial and learning focused-work operates at the intersection of today’s societal challenges and creative, innovative responses to them.

Most recently, Kirk led the Māori and Pasifika Trades Training initiative in Auckland.
His career has provided him with rich experiences across compulsory, non-compulsory and free choice learning sectors to draw on.

In 2014, Kirk completed an Education Leadership thesis by working with Tongan parents with children in primary schools – his central hypothesis being: “there is no such thing as a hard to reach audience, it’s about being relevant.

As evidence of his intrapreneurial nous, Kirk has led the development and implementation of a project-based learning curriculum as the vehicle for meaningful learner engagement for second chance learners.

He has championed a community and youth-curated outreach programme which won a New Zealand Museum Award for an outstanding new museum programme that contributes to best practice in the museum sector in Aotearoa New Zealand, and demonstrates community engagement, responsiveness and collaboration.

Inspired by the past; challenging the status quo; and the possibilities of the future, Kirk has headed projects which have led to meaningful learning and employment outcomes such as sending a team of trades trainees’ to Fiji to support the rebuild after Cyclone Winston.

He has also facilitated a courageous and gritty Youse Got Choices campaign targeting Māori and Pasifika communities which set out to shift attitudes about trades as a viable and worthwhile career pathway.

The First Foundation has been on Kirk’s radar for many years, and when the chance to work directly with First Foundation and support the positive and pro-active work the organisation does, he jumped at the opportunity.

Kirk is excited about this new chapter in his career, and working towards making Aotearoa just that little bit better for future generations.

He has extensive creative and people skills and always enjoys the opportunity to provide guidance and full wrap around support to young people.

His years of mentoring, student support and “on the ground” experience provides the appropriate knowledge to encourage our next generation of pioneers to reach their fullest potential.

“I am super privileged to be a part of the successful First Foundation team. I believe in the vision and the heart of the organisation. The scholarships that are offered by our scholarship partners are the most rewarding achievement to the successful applicants”.

Not only is Brooke deeply empathetic and bubbly, but she also thrives in a busy environment. She has worked across administration, sales and marketing in demanding industries. Now, she’s the person to speak to at First Foundation to ensure things get done as they should and when they should. 

She says, “I have always been driven by the desire to reduce the disparity among New Zealand’s socio-economic groups. Being part of the First Foundation team allows me to do just that. It’s an organisation that is truly making an impact.

You’ll enjoy hearing from Brooke – her warm sense of humour makes her a favourite member of our team.

Rich’s own journey shows the power of education to propel a career. After leaving school at 16 to start an apprenticeship, he quickly decided to enrol at university. A one-year study break turned into a four-year honours degree, followed by a long career in the business sector. 

Rich believes that, by partnering with First Foundation, businesses can access talented young people with skills to make a difference at the future leadership table, helping organisations appeal to different cultures and customer demographics.

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It was at a similar event around five years ago that Michael, a partner at Chapman Tripp, was inspired to encourage the commercial law firm to become a scholarship partner.

Like many First Foundation scholars, Michael’s mum was the first in her family to go to university. Although she had the whole community behind her, it was still a big leap. That contrasted with Michael’s own experience years later, because his parents had been before him and most of his peers were heading to university too. 

He believes education is a great leveler, and the commitment and passion of First Foundation and its supporters is helping make education accessible to more New Zealanders.

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After being awarded his scholarship in 2009, he followed his dream of becoming an architect. This qualification has helped him relieve financial stress from his family, inspire younger students to follow their dreams, and set up MAU Studio – a design practice focused on creating regenerating environments that enhance well-being and contribute to a more equitable world.

Raised in South Auckland and of Samoan descent, Tau describes his graduation as a family event made possible by his parent’s sacrifice for him. Being able to share his achievements with them is one of his proudest moments.

Tau believes a sustainable future for business requires an organisational culture that values youth development in Aotearoa and is committed to supporting our rangatahi into these businesses.

Her Mum was a teacher who believed that education is the great equalizer and Loretta’s ticket to the world, so she made the huge sacrifice to send her daughter to New Zealand to attend school. Loretta remembers her mum’s parting words to her words: “You’re my shooting star, I’m sending you off into the world to make a difference.” It’s that sacrifice that has given Loretta her drive to achieve.

Receiving scholarships to attend university means that Lorretta recognises herself in First Foundation scholars and believes that success has a great deal more to do with the individual than the decile of the school they attend. A huge part of success requires a good support network around them – something the programme provides. Representation matters to Loretta and she sees that First Foundation forges pathways for diversity in the workforce that is creating a generational shift.

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