Allyssa Verner-Pula is from Manurewa in South Auckland, known to locals as the 267. Her blog @mayorofmanurewa addresses a range of topics from David Dallas’ Hood Country Club, to loss, Glee and her personal experiences with mental health. She featured in YWCA’s 18x18 photo exhibition, which shared a snippet of young women on the brink of adulthood and their world. Allyssa is a proud Afakasi Sāmoan and is currently completing a degree in Drama and Pacific Studies at the University of Auckland.