Aishlin Murphy

“I was drawn to my major because I’ve always been interested in being a social change maker; I’ve always been very passionate about helping people, activism, and looking out for others, and social change just felt right.

“I’ve learned much about New Zealand through my degree. We get to do quite a few papers specifically on communicating in Māori and Pacific worlds, and as tauiwi, I think it is important that that’s something I learn. I feel like it’s shifted my worldview and has highlighted the importance of learning to communicate in indigenous spaces.

“I would’ve loved to have known in the first year that you don’t have to pigeonhole yourself into one thing; there are so many opportunities. At university, you can be creative; there are so many different projects you can get involved with, so many different courses that provide so many different opportunities.

“The Bachelor of Communication is theory-based, but what I love about it is the practical element and applying what I’ve learnt and learning how to respond to issues. There are also so many different opportunities for creativity and fun.
 

“I chose the University of Auckland because the degree felt contemporary. My major allows me to study some fascinating forms of social change movements along with interesting social change communication, alongside the modern technologies we learn to use.

“Coming into university, I was always really interested in diplomacy and working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, so I could liaise and coordinate with different countries. My degree has helped prepare me for such career opportunities.

“I am still really interested in that type of career, but Communications has shown me there are so many more opportunities and that I could do something creative and that’s something I’m considering now as well.

“Meanwhile, the degree's emphasis on positionality has taught me much about my unique place in the world, what it means to be me, and how that influences how I approach issues. That’s relevant if you work in something as important as diplomacy.”