Nua Semuā Silipa, ONZM, of Auckland, for services to Pacific education
Nua Semuā Silipa was a teacher and counsellor at Avondale College. She pioneered the Samoan Cultural Group and introduced Gagana Samoa to integrate language and cultural values. As a Trustee, she established and chaired the Māori and Pacific committee to prioritise academic success, which saw Pacific NCEA achievement lift from 51 to 90 percent. She launched community dinners with kaumatua, whānau, church leaders and other sector leaders. She was a Pacific leader in the Ministry of Education and has lectured university counselling students, presented to school staff and external agencies and contributed to academic publications on the Pasifika worldview. She is Co-Chair of the Pasifika Counsellor’s Collective. She supervises and mentors Pacific counsellors. Nua Semuā Silipa has counselled Pacific peoples on family violence, sexual abuse, addictions, anxiety, depression and suicide.