Ateca Sher
When Ateca Sher arrived in Christchurch in 2012, she worked as a cleaner at Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (now Ara).
Every time she passed a classroom, something stirred her imagination. “One day,” she thought, “I’ll go here.”
That quiet ambition led Ateca to study pre-health at Hagley College, the first step on a journey that would test her strength and purpose. After Hagley, she enrolled in the Bachelor of Nursing at Ara, graduating in 2020.
The path wasn’t easy. During her studies, Ateca lost both her father and her in-laws in the space of a year. She was raising children while managing a full-time workload of study and clinical placements. “There were times when I felt depressed, honestly,” she says. “But I knew I had to keep going.”
Support came in many forms. Her husband worked full-time so she could focus on her studies. Close friends and fellow students formed a study group, stepping in to help care for her children so she could finish assignments. Mere Kikau (Ara Advisor Pacific Success), before she started working at Ara, would sit with her children while Ateca worked. “There wasn’t a Pacific space at Ara back then,” she says. “Having that support now will make a real difference.”
For Ateca, choosing the right people around her was key: “You need the right support group to get the right answers,” she says. “Sometimes that means accepting help from people outside your community, non-Pacific staff or classmates who want to see you succeed. You have to be willing to step out of your comfort zone to access that support.”
Since 2022, Ateca has worked as a Nurse Team Lead at Etu Pasifika, which is one of the largest Pacific providers for general practice and integrated health services in Aotearoa. Her work now focuses on high-needs populations and Pacific communities. “It’s not just a job,” she says. “You get to help people, and that brings a real sense of achievement and purpose.”
Dr Leone Vadei, Consultant General Practitioner at Etu Pasifika, says Ateca’s strength is her deep commitment to service:
“Ateca has a passion to serve - to serve the community in general, to serve families’ health needs, and to serve Pacific communities. She understands the health needs and inequities within our communities in New Zealand. This is at the heart of her work as a nurse, and it has been the driving force behind her journey up to now. As a practice, we are very happy to stand alongside her in her endeavour to improve health standards in New Zealand. Kia kaha, Ateca!”
Reflecting on her studies, Ateca is proud of the resilience that carried her through. “The friends I made became my family. And now I get to give back, to serve my community and do meaningful work.”
Her message to others thinking of studying, especially Pacific learners juggling big responsibilities? “It’s never easy - it’s tough. But if it’s your passion and your heart is in it, you can do it. Keep pushing. You’re your biggest cheerleader - speak to yourself and encourage yourself.”