Christian Baledrokadroka: A voice for change

Christian Baledrokadroka (Faculty of Arts and Education) celebrates graduating with a Master of Social and Community Leadership with Distinction from Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland.

Hailing from Sawakasa (Mataqali Ravouvou), Tailevu and Waiqori, Oneata, Lau in Fiji,and the villages of Fasito’o Uta, Fagali’i, Afega and Iva in Sāmoa, Christian has always held a vision to serve youth, Pacific and Māori communities.

But Christian also acknowledges that her path has not been linear – but rather guided by faith in God, who she says has pieced every step together.

Her father’s passing in 2017, the same year she began university at just 17, left a profound imprint.

“I held tightly to the promise of Romans 8:28 which says: ‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.’”

"This looks like carrying that hope for myself, fighting to believe it, and figuring out what it looked like to be obedient to my call when my world shattered."

“No matter how deep it might get in the trenches of grief, there are things I remember learning that I have been able to take with me along the way," she reflects, acknowledging how loss deepened her determination to help others.

Christian’s academic journey began in Communications, majoring in Public Relations, where she first discovered her love for connecting people and kaupapa.

“I really loved comms for the relationships and the people element – being able to represent a kaupapa I love or believe in and strategically communicate how to influence and shift change,” she says.

That passion led to her being awarded the Geraldine Lopdell Award for Diversity in Communication in 2020, recognising her commitment to empowering Māori and Pacific storytelling. She says communications was a pathway that connected and empowered people to build meaningful relationships.

But storytelling was just one piece of a much larger puzzle.

For more than a decade, Christian poured herself into youth mentorship and leadership, which became a stepping stone into public policy – including the prestigious Tupu Tai Pasifika Public Policy Internship. These experiences gave her both grassroots and systems-level perspectives needed to drive solutions for her communities.

In 2021, she took a leap of faith into Equippers Bible College, combining academic learning with ministry practice. “It was academic, but you also lived and breathed what you learned because of the environment and the outward focus on our church community and ministry areas. Being in the kitchen, rather than in the restaurant to receive. It gave me a shift in mindset.”

This blend of ‘head, heart and hands’ reshaped how she approached community leadership.

Now, as she steps into a graduate role at Auckland Council in Te Pokapū Āheinga (the Capability Hub), working in the Māori Outcomes team, Christian is focused on putting theory into action.

“What does it look like in this context, and how can I serve Māori communities - supporting learning, professional development and cultural uplift for kaimahi across Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau? And how do I align my mahi with Te Tiriti o Waitangi?”

For Christian, graduation is not the finish line, but a milestone in a bigger vision: turning knowledge into solutions, and solutions into change.

Her experience spans communications, education, youth development, ministry, NGOs, and now local government. But she says her Master’s journey brought all of that into sharper focus.

“It was especially empowering being in a class with people who were ready to drive change, but who also came from a place of lived experience, which added this layer of being real. A lot of my classmates were experienced or ‘seasoned’ social workers and teachers,” she says.

“I put my focus into research on diversity, Indigenous thought, and education papers because of how important I believe they are. But I also dove into research around domestic violence which broke my heart.

"These are just one of many realities that many people live through, and social and community leadership both touches these realities and needs to be addressed as part of the wider solution to bring healing to people and change in our communities.”

“Knowing that I was in a room with people who created a safe space to talk about pressing issues yet also work together effectively to create the solutions we’d like to see – that was empowering. It cemented why, where, and how I want to influence change.”

“I am committed to serving with my head, heart and hands,” she adds. “It’s about being both people and systems focused, so that real change can take place.”