Charm Tuala was sitting in the living room of his Auckland home, when the message flashed across his screen: he had been accepted into Brown, an American Ivy League university.
His family cheered. Tuala’s grin took over – he couldn’t believe it.
Three days on and he was still reeling from the news: “That was such a special moment for me, just having my family around.”
When the 19-year-old graduated from high school last year, he didn’t even think of applying to an Ivy League school. It seemed out of reach.
That’s what motivated him to give it a go; Tuala wanted institutions of power and success, such as Brown, to look more like him.
“I thought it would be a great thing to see more pacific faces in that space,” he said.
Tuala has lived in South Auckland all his life. It’s where his family, school and church community are.
“It’s an area that is kind of under-represented,” he said. “A lot of our families don’t get the opportunity to pursue higher education.”
“They make a lot of sacrifices… Even just going to university is a big deal [after] having your family come from the Islands to come here and pursue a better life for us.”
RICKY WILSON/Stuff
Charm Tuala was head boy of De La Salle college in 2022.
Tuala said his school, his Catholic faith and his community all give him the drive to keep going.
“I was very anxious [about the letter from Brown]. But for me, God plays a massive role in my life. I had a lot of people praying for this moment,” he said.
But he’s most grateful to his parents.
“They are always there, supporting me in everything I do. I’m very thankful for my mum,” he said.
Tuala has his heart set on business. He’s spent the past year studying commerce at Auckland University and wants to take courses in economics at Brown.
He is sad to leave but is stoked to see what the next few years overseas will hold.
“Being a kid from South Auckland and going over there… that’s awesome. It opens your eyes to what you can achieve.
And the first thing on his list? “It’s inspiring others”.
“I don’t see much of that [Pacific peoples in Ivy League education]. I thought: it’s such an amazing opportunity to show that it is possible.”
