A Shift in Direction
After realising that health sciences weren’t for her, Lita explored various jobs, from administration to counselling support. It was during this time that a mentor helped her identify a key part of herself: her strength in visual communication and storytelling. She discovered a natural talent for organising complex ideas into charts and visuals that resonated with people - a skill that pointed towards a more creative career.
“I’m a visual person,” Lita says. “I started looking at graphic design because I wanted to learn how to tell stories in a different way - beyond words.”
That curiosity led her to the Foundation Studies programme at Media Design School.
A Taste of Everything Creative
What drew Lita to the Foundation Studies programme was the opportunity to explore. “It gave me a taste of what the degrees could offer,” she explains. “I wanted to see if there was something beyond graphic design that I might connect with.”
The programme is designed to introduce students to a wide range of creative tools and disciplines - eight papers that span software, storytelling techniques, and design concepts. For Lita, who hadn’t studied art or design in high school, it was a bold leap into the unknown.
“It was my first time touching any design software,” she recalls. “I was learning InDesign, experimenting with digital storytelling, and figuring out how to bring my culture into my work. It was completely new - but it built my confidence.”
Through the programme, Lita not only developed practical skills, but also learned how to express herself visually and creatively. More importantly, she realised she didn’t have to separate her Tongan heritage from her design practice - she could merge them.
Building Relationships and Finding Belonging
Foundation Studies also helped Lita build lasting relationships. “Some of my closest industry contacts today are people I studied with in Foundation Studies. And I still reach out to some of my lecturers - they became mentors, not just teachers.”
Those connections helped solidify her sense of belonging. While the academic content gave her tools and techniques, it was the people and the environment that made her feel seen and supported.
“As a Pacific student, I did feel encouraged to explore my identity in my work,” she says. “It wasn’t always easy - I didn’t always know how to express my culture visually - but that challenge helped me grow. It made me dig deeper, reconnect with my family, and build a stronger sense of who I am.”
Finding Her Voice Through Design
During her time at Media Design School, Lita progressed from Foundation Studies into the Bachelor of Media Design and Creative Advertising programmes. There, she worked on projects that pushed her out of her comfort zone and encouraged her to tackle complex topics creatively.
She recalls one defining project in particular: a campaign to raise awareness about stalking, created during a class with lecturer Kate. “It challenged me,” she says. “Coming from a conservative Christian background, it wasn’t a subject I ever thought I’d explore. But it made me think critically, step outside my cultural comfort zone, and learn how to communicate sensitive issues in a way that created real impact.”
That experience helped shape her creative voice - not just as a designer, but as someone who wants to advocate for others. “I realised I was passionate about using design to uplift marginalised voices,” she says. “Not just to shout at people, but to make them think. To create behavioural change.”
Advice for Future Students: Take the Risk
Lita’s journey is proof that your starting point doesn’t define where you’ll end up. From a hesitant enrolment in a foundation programme to a confident, culturally grounded creative, she credits Foundation Studies as the place where it all began.
“If I could give advice to future Pacific students or anyone unsure about their path, I’d say this: take risks. Big ones. Try everything. If you’re going to break the rules, break them big enough to learn why those rules exist. That’s how you grow.”
Full Circle
Today, Lita’s journey has come full circle. After completing her degree, she returned to Media Design School - not as a student, but as a mentor and support person for others.
But her legacy as a student lives on through those she inspires - by being honest about her journey, her mistakes, and the lessons she learned along the way.
“You don’t have to have it all figured out,” she says. “I didn’t. But I found a place that helped me discover who I really am - and that changed everything.”
