“Whāea te iti kahurangi – strive for success”
Samantha is originally from Plymouth in the UK, and with her parents, moved to New Zealand and attended Long Bay College on the North Shore of Auckland for her senior years. She was very passionate about basketball which took her on a scholarship to the United States to complete a BA at Radford University, Virginia, via Casper College, Wyoming. She then returned to the UK and completed a Master’s degree at the University of Exeter. After volunteering for a year at a large children’s home she trained to become a teacher. Samantha and her husband moved to Manchester where she was Head of Department at two large high schools and was also an Advisory Health Education Teacher. In 2008 with her husband and two daughters she moved back to New Zealand where she joined the staff at Te Aroha College. Here Samantha was a Dean, Teacher in Charge, Assistant Principal and Deputy Principal. While she was there she completed a Masters of Educational Leadership at the University of Waikato and began her doctorate but has put that currently on hold.
Samantha is especially interested in driving equity and excellence for all. Throughout her career, she has always been passionate about engaging with a diverse and varied range of people both at school and in the local community. Samantha has been involved in driving and supporting a variety of school initiatives including hauora and wellbeing, junior curriculum development, restorative practice, special education, student leadership, among others.
