At our Tuesday meeting a good turn out of members was treated to a Vocational by one of our newest members :- Sara-Jane Elika.Vocationals are probably the most important part of Rotary life as they are the means we get to know our new colleagues. Sara-Jane's vocational address was no exception.
Staring with a Mihi and finishing with a Waiata Sara-Jane's vocational was inspiring.
Sara- Jane told us of her upbringing and education and her current activities.
She is married to Ralph, also a new member, since 2007 and has four children the youngest aged four twins aged six and her eldest is nine.
Her father is Samoan and her mother European.
Her father was until his retirement principal at Mount Albert Primary School in the inner-city. When he was appointed to that position was first Samoan Primary School principal in the country. Sara-Jane notes that he is studying for a new career in the clergy.
Sara-Jane told us that her maternal grandfather lived in at Papakura and was a member of the Papakura Rotary club.
Sara-Jane is an alumni of St Cuthbert’s
Ralph and Sarah have been married for 12 years. They met at Auckland University as they both were law students at the time. It was best described as meeting in the middle as Sara-Jane came from Papakura and Ralph is a Westie. Faith is an important element in her life. Sara-Jane and Ralph's children attend or will attend St Michaels Catholic School. Church is an important part of their lives.
Sarah’s brother Onosa’i Auva’a represented Auckland at provincial rugby level and played for the Blues. He also played sevens for New Zealand and was a member of the team that won the gold medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Having retired from representative rugby Onosa’i is now chaplain at Kings College.
At University Sarah Jane took a law degree and a music degree. She has been admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand. It happens that Ralph also has a law degree. This combination and the contact with her brothers teammates led to Sarah Jane and Ralph to set up a sports management business advising young sports people in relation to professional contracts.
Sarah Jane is a passionate singer. She has won a Tui award and an number of other awards over the years as a consequence of her abilities.
Since leaving university she has had many roles first as a mother and wife, then providing performance to musicians in diverse areas including entertainment law, event management and the development of business plans in the creative industry.
In some background reading your editor discovered that Sarah Jane had been a production manager for the Sunday current affairs program, a production assistant for fair go, and event manager for Parachute Festival. She has also lectured atMAINZ Tai Poutini Polytech, mentored for the New Zealand music commission and has been a guest lecturer at the University of Auckland the Centre for Pacific studies and unitec for contemporary studies.
In 2017 Sarah Jane was the winner in the emerging leader category of the governance New Zealand annual awards ceremony. She has as well gained number of ministerial appointments including appointed chair of the content committee for National Pacific Radio Trust, as a board trustee of the League for Life Foundation founded by the New Zealand Rugby League and as chair of the Community Legal Services South Trust.
Finally, and that is not enough, she is a director with Ralph of Elika consulting group which combines their considerable skills to provide a full service strategic consultancy across public, private and not-for-profit sectors.
Sara-Jane will be a valuable member of our club.
Welcome.