Our Alumni
InZone alumni go on to university, apprenticeships, trades, professional sport and paid internships with partners like Heartland Bank. Many stay connected long after they leave the kāinga, and some come home to support the rangatahi following in their footsteps. Here are a few of their stories.
Full circle: Antonio Ripata's story
I grew up in Māngere, and from a young age rugby and education became my “ticket out” – not because I wanted to leave where I came from behind, but because they gave me a chance to see how big my world could become.
I still remember my first visit to Auckland Grammar. Driving through the gates and walking into the Great Hall, I could feel the history and tradition of the place and remember thinking, “I need to come here.”
In 2011, that opportunity became real. I arrived at InZone as one of the first 20 or so boys, carrying an All Blacks duvet and matching sheets from The Warehouse. After the pōwhiri, sharing kai and saying goodbye to our whānau, we changed out of our number ones and started throwing a rugby ball around on the Lovelock lawn. I looked around and thought, “Okay… this is where I live now.”
Five years later, I stood at my final InZone prize giving in tears trying to explain what the significance and opportunity had meant to me. I had become the first of more than 50 grandchildren in my wider family to graduate from college. I was heading to university with scholarships and had a provincial rugby development contract. The world that once felt so far away suddenly felt open to me.
Life since then hasn’t followed a straight line. Rugby, banking, coaching, travel and living in London took me in different directions but eventually helped me understand where I find the most purpose… helping other people grow.
In 2026, fifteen years after arriving with that All Blacks duvet, I’m back at InZone working with rangatahi, back at Grammar coaching, and studying towards becoming a teacher.
When I was younger, I thought the gift of InZone was how far the opportunity could take me. Now I realise the real gift is being able to come home and help open those same doors for someone else. This feels very full circle.
Finding his voice: Alan Burling's story
I came straight from Tonga to InZone and Auckland Grammar in 2011 as part of the pioneering group. Leaving my family, moving countries and entering both a school and an InZone programme that were completely new to me was daunting, but the opportunity to attend Grammar meant the world to me and my family.
As one of only three 7th formers in that first InZone group, I came to take immense pride in being a leader and role model for the younger Māori and Pacific students coming through. Seeing them receive the same opportunity, while growing as leaders through our cultures, helped ignite my own passion for advocating for our people.
Since leaving InZone, I’ve completed a degree in Biomedical Science and a Master’s in Pharmacology and cancer research. I now work as a medical liaison for a global medical technology company and contribute to a Pasifika medical board supporting metabolic health in our communities in Australia.
InZone gave me more than an educational opportunity. It helped ignite the confidence to use my voice, step into important conversations and lead in ways that serve our communities.
Habits for life: Killarney Morey's story
I came to InZone from Kaitaia as part of the first intake of the girls’ kāinga. Moving into such a different environment was a big adjustment. I remember how strange it felt seeing someone completely new at school every day, but it gave me the opportunity to pursue my sporting goals while furthering my education.
One of the things that had the biggest impact on me was actually something pretty simple: prep. Those two compulsory hours of study every night gave me structure, improved my grades and built study habits that I carried through university and still use today working for myself.
Since InZone, I’ve completed a Bachelor of Physiotherapy, practised as a physio in New Zealand and Australia, worked with regional and national sporting teams, travelled through the Pacific and Europe for work, and qualified as a strength and conditioning coach. I’ve also developed my own app to deliver programmes to the athletes I work with.
Looking back, InZone didn’t just help me take my education more seriously. It put me in an environment where I could keep learning, pursue sport and build relationships that have continued opening doors in the netball world years later. A lot of what started as routine and opportunity at InZone became habits and connections I’ve carried into the life I’ve built today.
Join the InZone whānau
Whether you’re whānau looking for the right place for your rangatahi, or someone who’d like to help open doors for the next generation, there’s a place for you in the InZone story.
