Cook Islander Meilani Payne came to Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington from a family of teachers, so pursuing Education was a natural choice for her. After discovering psychology in high school, she chose to pursue it as a second major.

Four years later, she’s graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Education and Psychology and studying towards a Master’s in Cross-Cultural Psychology. Working at the University as a peer support coordinator while she does her Master’s, she continues to bridge the gap between lived experience and academic theory.

As Meilani’s studies began, psychology became more than an interest. “I stuck with it not just because it was interesting, but I could relate it to personal experiences. And I saw a need—I wanted to help fill that gap.”

A conversation with an older student about postgraduate studies at the start of 2023 gave her direction for her studies. “They told me, if you’re thinking about postgrad, it really helps to join a lab and get some experience in the mental health field,” she says.

“I had always worked with people with different abilities, but that year I really dedicated myself to it,” she says. As both a wellbeing workshop facilitator at the University, and a support worker, she spent 2023 listening to people's experiences, learning from mental health research, working directly with clients, and presenting learnings to students.

“It was an integral year in terms of applying my knowledge, and realising, actually this is something I really want to do.”

That year Meilani also joined Associate Professor Dr Mele Taumoepeau’s psychology research lab.

“Joining a lab gets you passionate about doing postgraduate study. Being at a place where even as an undergrad your voice matters was really cool. It makes you feel like your learnings and the classes you've taken are important. You also get to know your lecturers and make connections with postgraduate students—there's so much value in that.

“It was especially cool to have a close connection with a Pacific psychology lecturer. In our first lab meeting, we were like, we should start a group—so we did. Through that we founded the Pacific Psychology Students’ Association (PPSA).”

The group started out small, with Meilani, Dr Mele and a handful of students figuring things out.

“There was a meet and greet for Māori and Pasifika psych students and staff. I met two others there—Tatiana Wong-Tung and Zeph Leaupepe—and asked if they’d want to start something, and they agreed. From there, we just started a group chat. It took about six to eight months—registering, applying for funding, organising events. We had to learn how to do everything ourselves.”

Those early beginnings paid off—the PPSA now supports around 90 students.

“There’s academic and professional staff always coming in and out to support. It’s the kind of story where it starts really small, and it’s time-consuming, but you build it up—and suddenly you can sit back and see it flourishing.”

Spending 2023 studying theory and gaining practical experience led her to being awarded a Tupu Toa internship for summer, placing her with StatsNZ during the General Social Survey (GSS) for the summer.

Across her undergraduate studies, Meilani received recognition for her academic success and community involvement, including being on the Dean's list for Humanities, receiving the Victoria Students' Psychology Society (VSPS) Scholarship, and the Walter Takaha Te Ouru (Wally) Penetito Prize in Education.

“The hardest thing this year was stepping away from the PPSA. That’s my child. I worked on that for two years. It was always on my mind. But I knew if I stayed, I’d keep giving it everything, and I needed to focus on my studies. It was bittersweet. But it’s that idea of passing the baton, trusting that it’ll keep growing—and it has. If you set a solid foundation and bring in the right people, it will eventually thrive."

Meilani is now working on her Master’s with Dr Mele Taumoepeau as her supervisor. 

For her thesis, she’s interested in exploring the mental health experiences of Cook Islanders, both in the homeland and diaspora. “There’s some data out there, and some work being done—but there are real gaps. I want to help inform clinical psychology practice in ways that make sense for Cook Islanders, that reflect who we are.”

Meilani says she’s incredibly grateful for the support of her friends, family, the Pasifika Student Success team, Dr Mele Taumoepeau and other Psychology staff, “these support systems have led me to where I am, and I want to honour that.”

Meilani dedicates her undergraduate degree to her grandmother, Teau Tungane Maara-Tuaine-Kite-Po Teiotu.

- Victoria University of Wellington