Soon-to-be graduate ‘proud’
By John Lewis
Originally published by the Otago Daily Times on 9 May 2025
Junior So’oula will graduate from the Cargill Academy training programme on Monday.
PHOTO: LINDA ROBERTSON
For the first time in his life, Junior So’oula has somewhere to go — and he is not wasting any time getting there.
The 41-year-old New Zealand-born Samoan has a cognitive barrier to learning, so he finds it difficult to retain information.
At school, he fell through the cracks, leaving in year 11 without any qualifications.
He then went through a string of labouring jobs, which would only last a couple of weeks at a time, and he was left feeling lost — he felt he had no identity, no purpose in life and no idea what the future held for him.
In 2005, he became mentally unwell and he was referred to Cargill Enterprises by his medical team in a bid to give him some purpose in life.
"I was a bit unsure about it, but I thought I would give it a go. I don’t regret it," he said.
"This place has given me really good support, the bosses are lovely and the workers here are inspiring."
More recently, he was invited to join the Cargill Academy, where he and about 20 others were given literacy, numeracy, digital literacy, financial literacy and life-skills training to help them become more independent.
"It’s been a long road to recovery, but I have become a more loving and caring person because of it.
"I will still struggle, but I am more equipped to cope now.
"I feel I am more able to figure out solutions better."
Cargill Enterprises chief executive officer Geoff Kemp said Mr So’oula was very timid and shy when he first arrived, and it was heart-warming to see him "come out of his shell" and be much more confident.
And best of all, he now had direction in his life.
He said the academy had provided him with "stepping stones" to reach his goals.
He planned to do another year of study there, which would help him get his driver’s licence and, ultimately, help him find a job in the community.
Ideally, Mr So’oula said he would love to find a job where he could help other people.
"I’ve got goals and no-one’s going to hold me back from achieving them now."
Last year, the Tertiary Education Commission stopped underwriting the programme, and there were fears the academy would have to shut down after just one year.
Fortunately, the public rallied around the academy and gave money to keep the programme running and Literacy Aotearoa provided tutors.
It meant the academy was able to continue operating and would remain open next year.
Mr Kemp said if the programme was not around, people like Mr So’oula would get lost in the system and their full potential would never be realised.
"Their options in life are drastically reduced. They would just drift from one thing to the next ... they get trapped.
"The academy gives them an opportunity to flourish."
He said most of the Cargill Enterprises "family" had very few academic achievements, so graduating was "a really big deal" to them, their support people and their parents.
"The parents will go, ‘I never expected my son or daughter to get an academic award’."
On Monday, Mr So’oula will officially graduate from his first year at the academy.
"It feels fantastic and I feel very proud," he said.