Lee O’Callaghan

“I have a strong interest in social justice, human rights, and learning about the past and present systems and institutions in our world. I wanted to develop my critical thinking, hone my research skills, and research areas I was interested in – so I instinctively gravitated towards doing my undergraduate degree through the Faculty of Arts.

“I chose to study at the University of Auckland for several reasons. The University offers a diverse range of cutting-edge tertiary programmes. With the scholarships on offer and plentiful research opportunities, it felt like a natural choice for me.

“Throughout high school, I became increasingly interested in learning about politics. I was involved in various advocacy programmes and fundraising events and took part in debating; being a bookworm I also began reading political theory in my downtime. Learning about how political theory both informs and is informed by the world is fascinating. I felt that the International Relations dimension of this major would help me connect these ideas to realities in Aotearoa and a global context. I fell in love with History in my final year of high school - I picked up the subject to fill a spot in my timetable and then decided to study it at a university level. Politics and International Relations and History reinforce each other a lot. My study of both subjects has greatly enriched my understanding of the world.

“I love the flexibility I have with my Arts majors: I can choose subjects from across disciplines in my course of study and have discovered new areas I wouldn’t have considered otherwise. Politics has encouraged me to critically reflect on normative realities and studying History lets you dive deep into topics and engage with intriguing primary sources and historical perspectives and arguments.

“One thing I love about my majors is that my peers are friendly and passionate about similar things to myself. I particularly enjoy tutorials and seminars, which not only allow you to get to know tutors and lecturers on a more personal level but also produce entertaining and reflective discussions and debates.

“I currently serve as the Equity Officer for the University of Auckland Disabled Students Association (AUDSA), a role which both reflects my identity as a neurodiverse student and my values of advocacy and fostering respect. I have also been involved with the Book Club and Debating Society and attended events from Rainbow Law which pertain to my interests and hobbies.

“The transition from high school to university can be difficult. However, if you try your best, you will succeed!”