When Papua New Guinean scholar Jessica Magala stepped into the Ministry for Pacific Peoples for her summer internship, she expected to learn about policy. What she didn’t expect was how deeply the experience would shape her confidence, her sense of belonging, and her understanding of Aotearoa’s public sector.

Working within the Operations team, Jessica contributed to a ministerial project exploring how Pacific education providers could engage with micro‑credentials — an emerging area of innovation in tertiary learning. She researched, drafted memos, and supported policy conversations that directly influence Pacific communities.

One of the defining moments of her internship came when she shared her billum weaving with international visitors from the World Crafts Council, connecting culture, creativity, and diplomacy in a way that felt both natural and deeply meaningful.

Young Pacific leaders from across Aotearoa are now halfway through a transformative nine‑week journey in Thailand, supported through the Prime Minister’s Scholarship Programme for Asia. Representing the growing Pan‑Pacific diaspora of New Zealand, these emerging educators, technologists, youth workers, and community leaders are living and learning in five Thai provinces — carrying their cultures, values, and ancestral intelligence into classrooms and communities.

Delivered in partnership with Pagoda Projects and aligned with Education New Zealand’s International Education Strategy, the programme is a powerful example of global citizenship in action.

This blog shares their journey so far — the learning, the leadership, the cultural exchange, and the profound impact of seeing the world through a Pacific lens.