Aspirations are embedded in social alliances and affectively realised. This article presents a longitudinal case study of the support and pastoral care in place for one Samoan-Australian male, Fiamalu, during his final year of compulsory schooling. Fiamalu's path to higher education was precarious for numerous reasons, including losing both his parents in the months preceding his last year of compulsory schooling. Drawing on theories of affect, the analysis focuses on the dynamics of the affective alliance between Fiamalu's elder sister and his year-level coordinator who supported Fiamalu. Fiamalu's story furthers understandings of the diverse ways disadvantaged students can be supported. Furthermore, as Fiamalu was supported, he simultaneously remained committed to supporting those close to him, providing insight into the ways in which support is often reciprocal and intertwined with empathy.