Graduate embraces music, modelling and legal reform

Lockdowns, late-night gigs, international travel, modelling, and a drive to understand how the law affects Māori shaped Sione Roberts' six years at the University of Auckland.

The conjoint music and law graduate started a full-time role this year as a law clerk with MinterEllisonRuddWatts, and when he has time, he's playing with his new band Tūī, an eclectic mix of soul, soft rock, jazz, indie and RnB.

"The band is an integral part of my life and loads of fun. It's my creative hub, giving me more energy and happiness than anything else."

Sione's childhood was full of skateboards, basketball, broken bones, cello, guitar, and East Coast surf.

"The beauty of Hawke's Bay is that there's a beach within 30 minutes no matter where you are, so I spent loads of time swimming and getting obliterated by the waves at Waimarama and Ocean Beach."

School life was a mixed bag. Sione loved learning from an early age but started to struggle in his mid-teens. His academic turning point came following a high school orchestra camp.

"I decided to turn things around. I made a goal to try my absolute best at every subject and challenge put in front of me. Thank goodness I changed my mindset, changed schools and locked in because I would not be where I am today if not for that personal decision."

That decision enabled him to complete his conjoint degree while performing with his band, debating, travelling internationally, and modelling for the likes of Zambesi, Superette, and Hallensteins.

"Modelling was such an awesome and rewarding side hustle while at uni. I was able to travel all over New Zealand and to Canada and the US."

He also travelled to the US, Vietnam and South Korea through University of Auckland programmes focused on innovation and entrepreneurship.

Sione credits much of his academic success and drive to his whānau. His mum studied for a business psychology degree while raising him and working full-time. Her determination proved to Sione that he could set big goals and achieve them through hard mahi.

"Mum has been my biggest supporter, always texting and calling when I first moved to Auckland to check I was happy and not too stressed with study or extracurriculars."

His late grandfather also left a profound mark. "All my childhood, I was in awe of the multitude of qualifications on the walls of his study room. He even wrote a few books about his life and learnings, which serve as great reminders of what someone can achieve if they constantly learn."

Sione's partner Alice has been with him throughout university, encouraging him when he doubted himself. His sister Willa took him out for food and chats, and his uncle Robert was a huge support too.

"I'm also grateful to my dad, my nana Jean, and Alice's parents for their ongoing support," says Sione whose Māori whakapapa gave his legal studies a deeper purpose.

"Aotearoa's history has been riddled with the oppression and discrimination of Māori, driven primarily by instruments like the legal system. One of my key reasons for studying law was to understand how the law has caused inter-generational harm to Māori and how we, as Māori lawyers, can change the law. These changes can prevent this chain of harm and provide remediation so Māori can one day be free from the consequences of colonisation."

Courses rooted in te ao Māori and Pacific perspectives were the most enriching parts of Sione's education.

South Pacific Legal Studies, taught by Dr Suliana Mone, was a memorable paper that opened Sione's eyes to how the legal system in Samoa has historically impacted the LGBTQIA+ community.

"Pacific Music and Dance was also an incredible paper that connected my Samoan and Māori genealogy to university learning. We finished the paper by performing a haka to our lecturers as a sign of our utmost respect and appreciation of their teachings."

University wasn't without its challenges. Sione's first year was his first real taste of independence, and his second and third years were marred by Covid disruptions.

"Some semesters I got good grades, some I didn't… but I gained a thicker skin and developed a knack for bouncing back from bad grades."

Sione ended on a high note – achieving his best academic results in his final semester.

As for how it feels to graduate? "I'm not one to cry easily but, after I submitted my final essay, reminiscing about my six years of study overwhelmed me.

“I thought about my journey from an awkward and somewhat unsure boy in Hawke's Bay to a still awkward but self-assured and happy dude in Auckland. I feel proud and happy, mostly because I know my mother is immensely proud of me and because I know my late grandfather would be proud too."