From global storyteller to local mentor

Students enrolled in Foundation Studies at WITT this year may be surprised to discover that one of their tutors has travelled a remarkable path - from the remote Nordic islands of Finland to the Pacific nation of Vanuatu, and now to New Plymouth.

Mikaela Nyman brings with her not only a wealth of global experience but also her background as a celebrated poet, novelist and editor. At WITT, she is channelling all that knowledge into helping students find their footing and build confidence for what comes next.

Mikaela joined WITT at the start of the year, teaching in Level 4 foundation and career pathways programmes. While many students know her as an engaging and thoughtful tutor, fewer realise they are learning from an internationally recognised writer. Her creative work spans novels, poetry, and a groundbreaking anthology of writing by women from Vanuatu - the first publication of its kind. It’s a background that deeply informs her teaching.

“I’m a strong believer in lifelong learning,” Mikaela says. “Foundation study is about helping learners get the best possible start.”

That philosophy underpins her approach in the classroom, where she focuses on communication skills and sociology - two subjects she sees as essential tools for understanding both the world and oneself.

A typical morning in Mikaela’s class might begin with a discussion of the day’s news. From there, students explore how current events connect to communication theory or sociological ideas about power, identity, and community. It’s a real-world approach that encourages students to think critically and see their place in a wider context.

Through sociology, she invites students to consider their roles in family, community, and society - from everyday responsibilities like caregiving or work, to broader questions about culture and global connections. “It’s about encouraging a new way of looking at the world,” she explains. “Understanding where you fit, and where you can go.”

Island lives

Her own life story makes those lessons especially meaningful. Mikaela grew up in the Åland Islands, an autonomous archipelago between Finland and Sweden. Having been raised between these two languages and cultures, she became a natural communicator early on - often acting as a translator within her family. As well as Swedish, Finnish and English, she speaks German and Bislama, the national language of Vanuatu.

Her journey has taken her far beyond the Nordic islands. She has worked in journalism, international development, and diplomacy, including several management roles with New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. While based in Vanuatu, she helped lead New Zealand’s response to Tropical Cyclone Pam in 2015, coordinating the aid response after one of the most severe storms in the Southern Hemisphere. The experience sparked her climate fiction novel, Sado, (published in 2020 by Te Herenga Waka University Press) and set in Vanuatu in the aftermath of the cyclone.

Vanuatu inspired her Doctoral research and out of that came a project close to her heart – the country’s first anthology of women’s writing, title Sista, Stanap Strong! A Vanuatu Women’s Anthology (published in 2021 by Te Herenga Waka University Press). The book brought together voices from across three generations in poetry, fiction, memoir, interviews, art and song and helped spark a growing literary movement. The anthology changed the English education curriculum in Vanuatu’s secondary schools, offering Vanuatu students the chance to see their own stories reflected in literature. Today, it is studied in schools and universities in New Zealand, Australia and across the Pacific.

Mikaela’s path to becoming a writer was equally shaped by personal experience. Although she had always written - initially as a journalist - she came to poetry writing following the loss of her mother and sister within a short period.

“I couldn’t find another language to express my grief,” she says. Her first collection written in Swedish resonated widely and established her as a powerful new voice.

In Wellington, she taught English as a second language alongside working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, before completing a Masters in Creative Writing followed by an interdisciplinary PhD in creative writing and Pacific Studies – both through the IIML (International Institute of Modern Letters) at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University in Wellington. There, she continued to develop her craft while raising three young children.

Foundations for success

In the classroom, Mikaela shares practical academic skills, from writing essays and referencing techniques to navigating the use of AI in study. She urges students to use AI thoughtfully, as a tool rather than a substitute for thinking. “Critical thinking is essential,” she says. “Use AI to brainstorm - but then go deeper. Ask where the information comes from.”

Her students, aged between 17 and 25, are often preparing for further study in fields like nursing or other professional pathways. Mikaela sees Foundation Studies as a vital bridge, helping learners build the skills and confidence needed for higher-level study.

For Mikaela, working at WITT is about more than teaching - it’s about making a difference. “I find it inspiring,” she says. “It feels meaningful to be able to contribute and help young people find their way in the world. It’s not easy for them, and supporting our young people matters.”

Art and life in Taranaki

In New Plymouth, the home of her Kiwi partner, Mikaela has found a sense of community through the arts and her work mentoring and collaborating with writers in New Zealand and the Pacific. She’s on the national board of the New Zealand Society of Authors | Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc), representing the vast Central District that spans Taranaki to Hawkes Bay and all the way to Gisborne.

This year she was the first writer to be selected for the Waiheke Writer’s Residency, spending three weeks over the Easter break at Palm Beach researching and working on her new novel.

Mikaela is currently also studying at WITT, learning new printmaking skills to further a long-held creative ambition.

For prospective students, Mikaela’s story is a reminder that education is not just about gaining qualifications - it’s about discovering perspective, confidence, and direction. In her classroom, students don’t just learn skills; they learn how to think, question, and engage with the world around them.

 Find out more about Foundation Studies and career pathways here: https://www.witt.ac.nz/study/foundation-studies

Caption: Mikaela Nyman holding her latest publication; The Anatomy of Sand (published by Te Herenga Waka University Press in 2025). In her poems she explores our relationship with nature and environmental loss, touching on Back Beach and other local references.