Samah | Rānui
“I was born and raised on the Shore, so Takapuna, Milford, Northcote , and then I moved over to Mt Roskill for my teenage years, and then, now I live out in Rānui with my parents. That’s why I like to say Auckland is my home, because it’s like kind of all over Auckland that I’ve lived.
I think a really big thing for me this year was, I’ve always been telling myself, take up new opportunities, or take up new things that you’ve never done before, try new things you’ve never done before, but it’s actually putting yourself out there in that position to have that adventure, or to start that journey. I’ve always felt like starting is the hardest part for me. That’s why I’ve always been closed off from those new opportunities, especially in the last year, because just the thought of starting it, or if it was a really big, overwhelming thing, I wouldn’t know what to do, or if I was really scared of failure, or that sort of thing.
One thing I really wanted to change was to actually just start it and see where it takes me. I’ve had heaps of conversations with friends, talking about just starting it, and taking off and not knowing where it takes you, and you end up doing these amazing things, and it doesn’t really matter what it is, it’s just kind of like that small little step that you have to take, and it’s also the most daunting step you have to take. So, it’s one thing I want to change this year. It’s just, not being scared to take that step, I think, if that made sense.
I value the way I was brought up. It’s humble beginnings. I’ve grown up learning that it’s the small things in life that matter, and family and friendship are the most important things, and it also comes down to things like as long as you have clothes on your back, a roof over your head. That sort of thing. You’re grateful and you’re humble about it, and I want to try and carry that through with me in life. One of my worst fears is that we’ll forget these things, and that those sorts of things will change us, and I don’t want that to change me. I don’t want to forget where I came from, or how I was brought up, or with the values that I was raised with; I’d never want to forget that. I’m always scared that for some reason or for some opportunity even, that will change you, it’s small things like that, like remembering where you come from, who your parents are, every little thing that’s contributed to you and who you are as a person. Those are the really big things in life.
I definitely hope to graduate. That’d be great. It’s my last year of study, but I really hope to pursue counselling. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, be a registered counsellor. That’d be great. I left school wanting to do something that would give back to the community, or would give back to the people that sort of helped me, or supported me as I grew up, and I felt like counselling was the best way that I could do that. I really hope in the future that I’m a registered counsellor and I can give back to the people that helped me.”
