Raised in Ōtāhuhu and the eldest of five, he is thankful for the support of his village. Havili looks forward to the moment where he'll cross the stage, making his loved ones proud.  

"I'm the first within my immediate family to go to university and to complete my studies. I lost two grandparents during my final year and also one of my grandfathers in 2015; it was an emotional time, but this degree is as much my family's as it is mine. 

"When I get to finally see that paper and graduate, I acknowledge the staff, my friends and family who helped me get to where I am." 

During his first year of study, straight out of high school, Havili received the PMA Sorensen Scholarship in 2019. He says he is grateful for the scholarship in alleviating financial pressure off his first year. 

"It helped relieve a lot of financial burden, not just for me but for my parents as well, especially with me being away from Auckland and living in a new city.  

I was really grateful for the scholarship because it specifically helped with my flatting situation and meant I could pay for things like rent." 

Havili is excited to represent his family when he graduates and says it's like they're all graduating. Currently, he works for PMA's Knowledge team and plans to further his studies next year.