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Why did you choose to study youth work at UC?

I wanted something I could fall in love with. UC is the only uni that offers a youth work-focused degree, and it's flexible so that I was able to incorporate areas of my interest into my degree. I just fell in love with what I could see myself being able to do.

What do you love most about your degree?

We get the opportunity to put our skills into practice and see our progress in building relationships with these young people. We get to see how much of an impact you can make in the young person's life, which is awesome to be part of because you're seeing the immediate effect of your abilities.

Has that hands-on approach taught you anything about yourself?

You learn about the theory and practice, but also a lot about yourself. I鈥檝e learned how I can be quite resilient when faced with a lot of adversity within a challenging situation. It taught me that I am actually good at building connections.

Tell us about your work with Arthritis NZ.

I was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis at age 15. As much as my physical health was affected, so was the emotional side. It was a difficult journey, but it led me to connect with Arthritis New Zealand, which does outreach and advocacy-based things. I formed a Youth Advisory Board within the organisation and we work together on projects and collaborate for advocacy and awareness opportunities.

How has your own experience shaped your path?

Beyond the surface level of the pain, I always think I'm very lucky for my diagnosis because it gave me so many opportunities. It led me to my passions. I found my calling from having my diagnosis, so it definitely ties into what I'm doing.