A Master of Arts graduate from the University of Auckland says a deep commitment to Pacific knowledge systems and indigenous solidarity has shaped her academic journey.

Margaret Kiely, of Irish, Swiss and Samoan heritage from Lalomanu, Poutasi, Amaile and Samusu, graduated on 7 May with a Master of Arts in Pacific Studies after years of study exploring Pacific identity, community and decolonisation movements.

Kiely said attending university felt like a natural step after following in the footsteps of her older sister, Dr Therese Lautua, who also studied at the University of Auckland.

“I didn’t really know what I wanted to do career-wise,” Kiely said. “But university always felt like the obvious next step. I loved learning, and because I’d spent time on campus while my sister was studying and working in Māori-Pacific spaces, it never felt like a place I couldn’t belong.”

Her journey began through UniBound, a pathway programme that introduced her to Pacific Studies and a strong Pacific community after growing up in a largely Pākehā high school environment.

“That space was loud, proud and brown,” she said. “I didn’t realise how much I’d been missing. Pacific Studies showed me that our knowledge systems, our histories and our ways of being belong at the forefront.”

Initially enrolled across several disciplines, Kiely later focused on Pacific Studies and Sociology, saying she wanted to move away from stereotypical ideas about what makes a “strong” qualification.

“We already have all that we need,” she said. “Pacific and Indigenous knowledge systems are powerful, rigorous, and essential to building just futures.”

Her postgraduate research examined how Pacific tauiwi express solidarity with Māori in decolonisation movements, particularly through social media platforms. Supervised by Pacific Studies lecturer Dr Emalani Case, the dissertation explored the evolving Māori–Pacific vā in Aotearoa and modern forms of collective struggle.

“Sometimes the work felt so familiar I wondered if it was even a master 's-level scholarship,” Kiely said. “But my supervisor reminded me that just because something is normal to us doesn’t mean it’s known or understood elsewhere. Our stories are valuable and should be documented.”

Kiely described completing her degree as both a relief and a proud achievement, acknowledging the support of her family, mentors and the Pacific Studies community.

“I’m surrounded by excellence, so I sometimes downplay my own achievements,” she said. “But this was hard work, and it mattered. It’s something to celebrate.”

She paid tribute to her parents, Des and Anna Kiely, for providing a supportive foundation that enabled her to focus on study.

“Being able to focus on my study without extensive work commitments has been a huge privilege,” she said. “That opportunity isn’t afforded to many, and I’m incredibly grateful to have been able to follow my passions.”

Kiely also acknowledged her sister, Dr Lautua, now lecturing at Harvard University, for her constant encouragement.

“Therese was always incredibly supportive,” she said. “She never put pressure on me. Even though she’s a high achiever, I never felt like I had to follow the same path.”

She also thanked academics, including Dr Emalani Case, Dr Sarah McLean-Orsborn, Dr Moeata Keil and Dr Marcia Leenen-Young for their mentorship throughout her studies.

“There is such an amazing and growing cohort of wahine toa academics here, all of them abundant in both excellence and service,” she said. “They encouraged me and pushed me when I needed it.”

Now working as a Tuakana Coordinator in the Faculty of Arts and Education, Kiely supports Maori and Pacific students through their university journeys and hopes to help create inclusive learning spaces similar to those that shaped her own experience.

“We should all be able to feel that sense of home at university,” she said. “If I can help create that for others, then I’m doing something worthwhile.”