Samantha was born in Ōtautahi. She has whakapapa links to Ngāti Kahungunu and Waikato-Tainui. Samantha studied Te Reo Māori through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa as well as Health and Wellbeing through Ara in conjunction with Te Pūtahitanga. In addition to her mahi as a Whānau Ora Navigator at the Trust, she has supported whānau at Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, advocating for funding and better education outcomes from primary school through to tertiary education. Whānau are at the centre for Samantha, as is being the best role model for her daughter. When she isn’t at work, she enjoys playing sport and doing kapa haka. Samantha is passionate about whānau having the tools in their kete to be able to navigate systems that were not designed for Māori. She would love whānau to be empowered leaders who take control of their own destiny.
