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Sione Ma'afu Kauvaka, Peer Support Specialist for Level Up IOP
Sione (pronounced like, “see own ā“) Sione Ma’afu Kauvaka serves as a Peer Support Specialist for the Level Up IOP in the Substance Use Disorder Groups.
In this role, he draws from his own experiences and journey to provide guidance and support to individuals navigating their recovery from substance use.
Sione understands the challenges and struggles that come with addiction, having faced similar battles in his past.
His lived experiences allow him to connect with students, offering them hope and encouragement as they work towards reclaiming and improving their lives.
Through group sessions, Sione fosters a safe and supportive environment where students can share their stories, learn from one another, and develop the skills necessary for lasting recovery.
His passion, commitment, and love to help others find their path to healing are a testament to his belief in the power of connection through community and the possibility of change.
Table of Contents
Early Life and Background
Sione Ma’afu Kauvaka is a proud Tongan-American raised in a home grounded in culture, family, and faith.
His parents migrated from the Kingdom of Tonga to build a better future, and their sacrifices laid the foundation for the man he is today.
He is one of seven children—four sisters and two brothers—but he was raised as the only boy in the house for much of his life.
Sione had a good childhood, full of laughter, love, and discipline.
However, like many young men who struggle to find where they belong, he eventually took a path far from where he started.
Turning Point in Adolescence
Middle school marked a significant shift in Sione’s life.
He began hanging out with the wrong crowd, chasing acceptance and validation from the streets.
This led him to a life of stealing, fighting, substance abuse, and eventually selling drugs.
The lifestyle became his norm—exciting, dangerous, and falsely empowering.
He carried that mentality into adulthood, and after high school, his criminal behavior intensified.
Sione became affiliated with a gang, and violence, chaos, and illegal hustling became his everyday reality.
Incarceration and Reflection
At the age of 22, Sione went to prison for the first time, convicted on drug charges and attempted robbery, serving 22 months.
He was released on parole, but he was not ready for change. Still caught up in drugs and alcohol, he remained committed to the gang lifestyle.
Just five months into parole, he found himself back in prison—this time for murder.
Initially, prison did not change Sione.
He dove deeper into the same behaviors, becoming heavily involved in the drug trade behind bars, helping to bring drugs in and distribute them throughout the prison.
He continued to chase respect and control in a world that thrived on pain and survival.
However, even in the darkness, God was planting seeds for change.
A New Beginning
In 2009, Sione met the woman who would eventually become his wife.
They married in 2014, and this relationship became his life’s first real turning point.
She saw in him what he could not yet see in himself.
Her love, patience, and belief in him slowly began to crack the walls he had built around his heart.
In 2017, they adopted a two-year-old boy from Hawaii, which changed everything for Sione.
Becoming a father forced him to reevaluate his life.
He did not want his son to grow up in the same chaos he had created, nor did he want his wife to raise him alone.
He knew something had to change—not later, but now.
Education and Transformation
Education became Sione’s doorway to transformation. While still incarcerated, he enrolled in Salt Lake Community College and eventually earned his associate’s degree.
School provided him with more than just knowledge—it gave him purpose.
It helped him understand his world, the systems that shaped it, and most importantly, himself.
Sione began to see his value not as a gang member, drug dealer, or convict, but as a human capable of growth and contribution.
His past no longer had to define his future.
A New Calling
Twenty years later, Sione walked out of prison a free man.
This time, he did not just walk out; he stepped into a new calling.
Today, he works as a Peer Support Specialist in the Salt Lake County Jail, helping inmates walk the same path he once did.
Sione is also bringing his experiences to the Level Up IOP programs, where he empowers students in recovery from substance use.
By sharing his journey and the lessons he has learned, he provides a supportive environment that encourages students to confront their challenges and embrace the possibility of a brighter future.
His unique perspective allows him to connect deeply with those he serves, reinforcing the message that transformation is achievable through resilience and community support.
He shares his story not to glorify it, but to demonstrate what is possible.
Sione meets men in their darkest moments and offers them a glimpse of light, helping them believe that change is not just possible but within reach.
Conclusion
Sione’s journey has taken him from the streets to a cell and now into service.
He has lost years, made mistakes he can never undo, and hurt people.
However, he has also healed, grown, and rebuilt.
Sione has found peace, purpose, and power in helping others turn their lives around.
He is Sione Ma’afu Kauvaka, who was formerly lost but is now found.
A husband.
A father.
A student of life.
A man committed to making a difference.
His story is not over, and we’re glad he’s decided to add Level Up IOP as a chapter in his story; every chapter has been written with intention, humility, and hope.
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