From homeless to head girl 'I'VE COME OUT OF MY SHELL'

The clever student is right as Rain since deciding to return to school

- Aroha Awarau

When Māngere College head girl Rain Te'i became homeless with her family two years ago, her life was full of uncertainty. But today, the 18-year-old has made a complete turnaround.

This year, she became head prefect of the South Auckland school, saying the experience of being down on her luck motivated her decision to return to school and change her life.

"There's a stigma around families who are put in situations where they have no home and are forced into emergency housing," tells Rain. "But the situation can happen to anyone.

"People don't really talk about being in emergency housing because they feel embarrassed. I'm not embarrassed because the situation pushed me to go to school and pursue my dreams.

"I was aimless before and didn't know what I was doing. Being in that situation made me a better person."

Rain was born in Japan to an American father, who was in the US Navy, and a Māori/Samoan mother from New Zealand. She grew up attending more than 13 schools around the world and when her parents separated, she grew up living between Aotearoa and the US.

When the pandemic devastated the world, Rain was living in California with her father during a chaotic period of political and social unrest experiencing the end of the Trump era, Covid-19 lockdowns and surrounded by violence of the Black Lives Matters protests.

Taking centre stage at Polyfest.