He ika a Whiro a Āwhina nō Te Panekiretanga o Te Reo, ā, ko tana mahi tuatahi hei Kaiwhakaako Māori pūmau, e whakatairanga ana i ngā ‘Akoranga Tūwaho’’ i raro i tētahi kirimana nā Te Tāhuhu o Te Mātauranga. Kātahi ia ka whakawhiti kia noho hei Kaitiaki Taonga Māori ki Te Puni Tiaki Taonga o Whanganui, ko tana mahi he whakahaere i ngā tikanga e hāngai ana ki ngā taonga Māori ōkiko, mariko hoki ki te wāhi mahi, e whakatūturuhia ai tētahi māngai Māori hei kōrero mā ngā iwi/hapū/whānau rānei. Ko ētahi o ōna haepapa ko te whakatairanga i ngā kaupapa Māori, te whakaako i ngā kaimahi o te whare taonga me te hapori nui tonu ki ngā take Māori me te whakarite hoki i ngā kaupapa ahurea.

Kua roa a Āwhina e manawaroa ana ki te kōkiri i ngā kōingo ahurea mō Rangitāne, me te aha, e kitea ana tēnei i tana whai wāhi atu ki ngā tini kaupapa pēnei i te peitatanga o te matarahi ki Tuamātene Marae. He wāhanga hirahira tōna i te whakahokitanga o ngā tūpuna ki Te Pokohiwi-o-Kupe i te tau 2009. Waihoki, he wāhi hirahira anō tōna i ngā take Taonga Tūturu a Rangitāne me Ngāti Kuia ki Te Tauihu o te Waka-a-Māui.

Āwhina, a graduate of Te Panekiretanga o Te Reo, initially worked as a full-time Kaiwhakaako Māori, promoting 'Learning Experiences Outside of the Classroom' under a Ministry of Education contract. She then transitioned to the role of Kaitiaki Taonga Māori at Whanganui Regional Museum, where she oversees tangible and intangible taonga Māori in the workplace, ensuring that iwi/hapū/whānau have a Māori representative to engage with. Her responsibilities include promoting Māori-driven initiatives, educating museum staff and the wider community on Māori-related issues, and organising cultural events.

Āwhina has long been dedicated to advancing cultural aspirations for Rangitāne, evident from her involvement in various initiatives such as the painting of the mural at Tuamātene Marae. She played a significant role in the repatriation of the Tūpuna to Te Pokohiwi-o-Kupe in 2009 and was instrumental in leading Taonga Tūturu efforts for Rangitāne and Ngāti Kuia in Te Tauihu o te Waka-a-Māui.