Warm Pacific Greetings

WELCOME TO UOPISA

University of Otago Pacific Islands

Students Association

WHO IS UOPISA?

UOPISA was established in 2018 to provide a collective voice for Pacific Island students at Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, the University of Otago. UOPISA operates at a strategic level by advocating, campaigning and lobbying for the aspirations of Pacific students - whether it's academic, social, spiritual or cultural. UOPISA encompasses thirteen member associations, 7 cultural and 6 academic, to best understand and represent the diversity of our Pacific students based in Ōtepoti, Dunedin.

UOPISA boys - Pacific Awards Night 2023_

FRIDAY NIGHT!! 🕺🏾🕺🏾

Join us for the UOPISA x TRM Night Market - good food, live performances, and stalls from our member associations showcasing culture and creativity 🎨

📍 520 Castle Street (Outside PIC, TRM & THM)
📅 Friday 30th May
🕡 6:30PM onwards

Pull up, grab a plate, support the community, and unwind before exams kick in 🫡

See you there!!! 🗣️

Ḁlalum ‘ḁus ‘e gasav ne fäeag rotuḁm te’is! 🗣️🌺🎉

cup is #full
thank you to everyone who attended this weekend. thank you to our EC and the behind the scenes team who made this weekend possible. the future of UOPISA is bright🫰🏽

day 1 done ✅✅
mālō kuo lava 🫡
@ptoyouthcouncil
@pacifictrustotago

🚨 UOPISA Leadership Weekend 2025 🚨

📍CYC Waihola | 🗓 9–11 May | 💰 FREE!!!!

Our theme for 2025: “E so’o le fau, i le fau” – Unity is strength 💪🏽🌺

Throughout the weekend, you and your executive team will engage in interactive workshops and purposeful activities designed to build strong leadership foundations, foster confidence, and deepen your understanding of what it means to lead as a wayfinder - with purpose, vision, and cultural grounding 🧭✨

🚌 Departure: 9AM Friday 9th May from OUSA
🎉 Return: 2PM Sunday 11th May to campus

Secure your spot before April 30th by registering via the QR code or our Linktree in bio 💖

Can’t wait to see you all!!!!! 🫡

@moananui.festival @pacifictrustotago
fa’afetai tele lava 🌺🌺

Mālō e lelei!

My name is Selu and I have the privilege of being your UOPISA President for 2025 🫶🏽. I’m so humbled and excited to serve for our mighty Pacific students down south. Can’t wait for another year of welcoming our first years, celebrating our returning students and supporting our incredible member associations to create an environment where our Pacific students can thrive. Don’t be shy to reach out!! UOPISA exists for you! So email me, message me or yell at me when you see me around uni (if you wave I won’t be able to see you because I don’t wear my glasses 😪)

Mālō ‘aupito 🤎🤎

Malo e lelei everyone,

My name is Rica and I am the Vice-President for UOPISA this year.

As one of our main goals this year is to be engaging and connected to our member associations, I hope that I can be of great service to you all in your respective spaces.

Fun fact: I call Waikato my home now 💀

Much love,
Rica 🩷

Talofa Lava, I’m Lena Ioane, serving as your UOPISA Secretary for 2025 🦋

You’ll be seeing many emails from me, so pretty pretty please reply 🥹😂

My passion lies in supporting and guiding our member associations thrive as they help their respective cohorts.

I am excited for the year ahead, working alongside my amazing UOPISA team, handling all tasks and supporting my team to ensure a smooth run of events, meetings, and supporting our member associations.

I look forward to what God has in plan for each and every one of us academically and within our associations 🌸

Sainia e le Failautusi o UOPISA 2025 🌸
IA FAAA

Mauri all,

Arau ngai nei Roubetaake, bon tei I-Marakei ngai ni kakaiaki, ao nakoau iaon te taibora bon te tia mwane. Ngaia tia bo.

My name is Ruby and I am responsible for spending(with informed decisions ofc😛) UOPISA’s funds.

So excited for the year, looking forward to fulfilling my role to the best of my abilities and the experiences that come along with it. Also super excited to work alongside a team of political baddies.

Stay Pasifika:)
roubetaake ruby💋

Talofa lava everyone, the name is already on there so no need to re-introduce myself. blah blah blah. looking forward to a great year. k bye

Talofa everyone! 🕺🏼🕺🏼

Super excited to be your PR rep aka the person keeping you all updated, but also making sure every association in our community gets their time to shine. If there’s something happening, best believe I will be talking about it 🫡

If you have any promo, activities or feedback back - please do not feel mā to send me a message. I am here to serve you all!!!! 📩

Stay 🆙🫰🏽

UOPISA is back!!! 🙂‍↕️📚🗣️

A BIG WELCOME to our incoming and returning students - here’s to another prosperous year in the Mighty South 🛣️✨

Stay tuned for UOPISA’s/our member associations’ upcoming events and initiatives! 📅🫰🏽💭

Pacific Cultural Association Award🏆

OSSA (Sāmoan)

Pacific Academic Association Award🏆

SSPIA (Sciences)

Pacific Academic Staff Award🏆

Dr. Edmond Fehoko

Pacific Support Staff Award🏆

Vika Piukala

Pacific Rising Star Award🏆

Tevita Vailala

Pacific Sporting Excellence Award🏆

Jordan Evans-Tobata

Pacific Community Excellence Award🏆

Leah Faitonu

Pacific Cultural Excellence Award🏆

Loreal Urika

Pacific Leadership Excellence Award🏆

Simote Molitika

PACIFIC WEEK 2024🌺

Warm Pacific Greetings everyone!

For Pacific Week this year, our associations have some fun events planned for every day of the week and UOPISA will start off our week with a kava night and will end it off with our annual Pacific Awards Night🥳

So keep an eye out on each associations instagram to see more details about their events!

If you haven’t bought your ticket for PAN, you can find the link in our bio. We look forward to seeing you all throughout the week!

Welcome back to Semester 2!!
It’s time to put in the work and get going! We’re almost there💅🏾

📷: @pmanoaphoto

LEADERSHIP WEEKEND: Part 2🌺

We would like to thank @keenanmasina for taking the time out to come and speak to our student leaders! Your heart and dedication to support our students is truly amazing!

Thank you also to the amazing @pmanoaphoto for capturing the second half of our day! And last but not least, a huge pacific thank you to our lovely caterers from OFA Catering who provided us with amazing food!

Thank you once again!

Alofas,
UOPISA 2024✨

LEADERSHIP WEEKEND 2024: Part 1🌺

A month ago we hosted our annual leadership weekend. Our theme was “E lauhoe mai na wa’a; i ke ka, i ka hoe; i ka hoe, i ke ka; pae aku i ka ‘aina” meaning “everybody pull the canoe together; bail and paddle, paddle and bail; and the shore will be reached”

A huge thank you to everyone who attended our annual event, and an even bigger thank you to everyone who had supported and helped us along the way!! Your support is what made the event a resounding success!!

Many thanks to the amazing Dr. Marea Colombo for hosting one of our workshops and to the lovely Keilah Fox for capturing everyone’s good sides and smiles during our first workshops.

Many Alofas,
UOPISA 2024✨

👸🏽INTRODUCING OUR PRESIDENT👸🏽

Mālō e lelei everyone, my name is Tele and I am blessed to be the President of UOPISA 🤠

🌴 I hail from the villages of Tongoleleka, Ha’apai and Ma’ufanga, Tongatapu 🇹🇴

🌴 I’m studying a Bachelor of Health Science, majoring in Pacific & Global Health and minoring in Pacific Islands Studies 🌺 Trust me, if you don’t love what your studying, uni will be the longest journey (also think about the student loan😭)

🌴 I’m always on campus so don’t be shy, come and say hi 🫶🏽 If I look like I’m busy, I’m just getting my steps in haha

☮️INTRODUCING OUR VICE-PRESIDENT☮️

Tālofa lava, my name is Josephine Ripley and it’s a privilege to serve as your VP for 2024 on the UOPISA Exec. I’m currently studying a LLB and a BA majoring in Pacific Studies. Born in Te Whanganui-a-Tara but raised in the beautiful sunny Whakatū, Nelson💛🌞

📷: @pmanoaphoto

💻INTRODUCING OUR SECRETARY💻

Halo evriwan, I’m Elsie Polosovai serving as UOPISA’s Secretary 2024.

💻Completing my Bsc in Human Nutrition so I can argue that eating the entire batch of cookies my flatmate baked, in one sitting rather than throughout the week is calculated self-control because I resisted the urge to have it throughout the week..

💻I am honoured to be handling UOPISA’s admin tasks this year and to be working with some cool people.

💻Hope you aren’t sick of me bombarding your email inboxes with my name yet lol

Tagio tumas, lukim iu 🤓☝🏿

📷: @pmanoaphoto

💵INTRODUCING OUR TREASURER💵

Helloing everything,

💵My name is Millie Mo’unga and I’m the Treasurer for UOPISA ‘24.

💵Currently studying life and what it entails.

💵Since I’m so Dory I just want to encourage y’all to “just keep swimming.”

Tataaaring ✌🏾

📷: @pmanoaphoto

👾INTRODUCING OUR EC/PR OFFICER👾

E fa’atalofa atu i le pa’ia ma le mamalu o alo ma fanau o atunu’u ta’itasi o le Pasefika olo’o a’otauina i le Iunivesite o Otago

👾My name is Etiano Ah-Siu and i am blessed to serve as UOPISA’s Events Coordinator and Public Relations Officer for 2024

👾I study a BSc majoring in Anatomy hoping to skiddadle out of here asap

👾idk what else to write so I’m gonna leave it here, but i’m excited to see what God has in store for UOPISA this year.
[insert inspirational message]

k byeeeeee

Sent from my iPhone

📷: @pmanoaphoto

Thank you to the executives that participated at our Back2Basics workshop! Swipe for some photos and feedbacks from the day. Stay tuned for information on our Upcoming Leadership Weekend!

Hope everyone is having a safe mid-sem break!🧡

And with that, our time on UOPISA has come to an end 🌺

Our team would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to everyone who has supported us this year! We have accomplished so many things, and it’s all for the benefit of our Pacific students 🫶🏽 As we look ahead, we are thrilled about the future of UOPISA and the possibilities that the next executive team will bring 🤩 We hope you have a wonderful summer and we will see you again next year 🎉

UOPISA 2023 Executive team, signing out 🫶🏽

24th October 2023 marks a historic moment, the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between UOPISA (the University of Otago Pacific Island Students' Association) and the University of Otago. This moment marks a significant milestone in the history of UOPISA.

We want to express our deepest gratitude to the University of Otago for recognizing the immense value that UOPISA brings to the university community and for granting us the much-needed funding for the upcoming year. This support not only ensures our continued presence but also allows us to thrive and make a lasting impact.

We would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the past UOPISA executives who laid the foundation upon which we stand today. Their tireless efforts and commitment have paved the way for our current successes, and we honor their legacy.

A special thank you goes out to the dedicated members of UOPISA's standing committee. Their unwavering commitment to our mission, and the countless hours they invest, are the driving force behind our achievements.

To our life members, we extend our gratitude for their continued support. Your wisdom and experience are invaluable to us and we are honored to have you as part of our UOPISA family.

A special thank you to the exceptional team of commercial lawyers at Anderson Lloyd, with special recognition for the support provided by Anne, Tim and Hayley. Their generous offering of pro bono legal advice is greatly appreciated.

Much love,
UOPISA 🌺

Celebrating UOPISA's 5th Birthday 🥳
Today marks a special occasion as UOPISA turns five ✨ In just a short span of time, we have achieved so much 🥹 We would like to extend our gratitude to everyone who has been part of this journey and to the previous executive members who have contributed their hard work and dedication to UOPISA 🫂 Cheers to another year of growth and success 🫶🏽

🌺Pacific Cultural Association Award🌺

✨OTSA (Tongan)✨

🌺Pacific Academic Association Award🌺

✨HOPSA (Humanities)✨

🌺Pacific Academic Staff Award🌺

✨Dr Charles Radclyffe✨

🌺Pacific Support Staff Award🌺

✨Garrett George✨

🌺Pacific Rising Star Award🌺

✨Aviu Don Aviu✨

🌺Pacific Sporting Excellence Award🌺

✨Mefi Tupou✨

🌺Pacific Community Excellence Award🌺

✨Kalisi Makoni✨

🌺Pacific Cultural Excellence Award🌺

✨Terian Tenoa II✨

🌺Pacific Leadership Excellence Award🌺

✨Chantelle Turketo✨

IT’S OFFICIAL‼️ Our UOPISA website is now live 🥳 Head over to www.uopisaotago.com and check it out 🩷

Mālō e lelei 🌺

My name is Elisepa Taukolo and I am humbled to serve as UOPISAʻs President this year.

All the best with exam szn! If you fail alg I did too when i was undergrad🤣 Just know that its not the end of the world. Failure builds character and is a greater teacher than success.

ʻOfa atu & stay blessed🤎

Talofa Lava 🌺

My name is Lesina Leota and I have the privilege of being UOPISA Vice - president.

I am Samoan, from the villages of Ga'utaivai, Pata Falelatai, Lepea Vailoa and Magiagi chehoooo 🇼🇸

I am in my 4th year studying bachelors of science majoring in Anatomy

Excited to see what God has installed for UOPISA this year.

Fa'afetai Lava ✨

Well, hello there.

I am Cam. I like staring out windows.

What’s my role on UOPISA, you may ask? You certainly may.

Also, Friendly’s is a great spot for lunch in Dunedin. This is a sponsored ad.

Drink that water!

See you next year… or not.

.pro-gallery-wix-wrapper {display: block !important;} .pro-gallery-wix-wrapper .gallery-item-container {opacity: 1 !important; display: block !important;}

Keep up to date on our socials!

@uopisa.otago

Contact Us

We welcome you to contact us if you have any questions, ideas or want to collaborate with UOPISA.

Mail: uopisaotago@gmail.com

Tel: (+64) 27 492 2506

WELCOME TO UOPISA

WHO IS UOPISA?

​

Keep up to date on our socials!

Contact Us

UOPISA Enquiry