She has spent time working with the Tauranga Budget Advisory Service, the Child Cancer Foundation, Te Tawharau o te Ora; an organisation to help homeless whānau in Tauranga, and the Tauranga Women's Refuge.
But it was a colleague at the Tauranga Women's Refuge that pushed Nuku into studying to become a full-time social worker.
Nuku has been a kaupapa Māori social-worker at Ngāti Ranginui for the past 12 months, a challenging but rewarding role she considers herself privileged to be in.
"It's a very humbling experience to work for your own people," she says.
Nuku works with multiple vulnerable people at a time with a kaupapa Māori focus, which often involves working with the wider whānau.
One of the most rewarding aspects of her job is watching people gain the confidence to make decisions for themselves and inspire the rest of their whānau.
But for Nuku, kindness is at the core of everything she does.
"It's very humbling watching how emotional people get when someone sticks up for them, some of these people have never had anyone ever stick up for them."
Social work was a "natural progression" for Nuku.
"I've always had a strong sense of social justice and I may or may not have been that kid that sorted the bullies out at school," she says.
The influence of her grandmother, who passed away 16 years ago, is something she often comes back to.
"She was always taking care of people, housing them, feeding them, listening to them, loving them.
"I adored her, I still do. But her memory inspires me every day, guides my practice and keeps me grounded."
