Patricia “Patty” Leilua is a Samoan woman born and raised in Melbourne. Patty shares her educational journey, her experience working at Le Mana Pasifika, and why she’s pursuing a Masters in Teaching.

Tell us about your background and where you grew up.

I was born and raised in Australia and come from a traditional Samoan family. My parents migrated here from New Zealand in the early 1990s. Back then, there weren’t many Pacific Islander families in our area. My mom went to university before she had me and my three younger siblings. Throughout my high school years, education never felt like a priority, and my teachers were honestly surprised that I had made it out.

I decided to pursue my undergraduate degree at Victoria University, where I met other Pacific Islanders who turned into lifelong friends. We started off as 7 Pacific Islanders at the university. By graduation, there were only 2 of us left - me included. It was a bittersweet moment when I got my diploma, because it was a moment to reflect on my fellow brothers and sisters who dropped out.

You work directly with Pasifika youth. What are their current needs?

After university, I did some community work with a few organizations. Some of my work centered around helping kids in rehabilitation after prison. I also served as a program facilitator for a Pasifika homework club, for which we were inundated with requests. The need was extremely high and the program well received.

A lot of students I worked with were surprised to hear that I had gone to university, especially if their parents were laborers. There’s so much work to be done around Pasifika empowerment and education.

I eventually joined another company called Centre for Multicultural Youth in Victoria. They put together Le Mana Pasifika in schools. It started off as a small project in 2017, but it is now a bigger fixture in the community. As a Youth Worker, you go into schools and conduct mentorship and leadership program.

I love the work that I do. My takeaway is that many of our young people lack direction in their lives. Education seems to be the big ticket thing to change their paths.

What’s next for you?

Fortunately, I’ve had Pacific Islander role models who were teachers, but there aren’t enough of us here. Our kids are being left behind. After working at Le Mana Pasifika, it has given me a strong passion for educating our Pasifika youth. If no one else is gonna do it, I might as well give it a go.

I’m currently pursing a Masters in Teaching and hope to graduate within the next 5 years. Early prevention is key. We need to inspire our children and give them hope for a better future. We also need to educate our peers, share our culture, and put us on the map.

Any advice for Pacific Islander scholars?

• Make sure higher education is for yourself. Don’t go because you feel the burden of outside forces.

• Have a plan. Think about what your goals are. Don’t be ashamed to set goals and stick to them. It’s not a race. Just go at your own pace and have faith in yourself. 

• If you need to, defer. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a semester off. If you have other plans, be comfortable changing it up. Put a hold if you have to, but come back with the motivation to follow through.

Any advice for people interested in Pacific community work?

If youth work is your passion, get involved in things that support our people. Sometimes systems weren’t made with us in mind. If you feel strong enough, challenge the systems that you are in to make our kids feel included and important in all spaces. Go in it with your whole heart.