糖心TV

Making the most of uni 鈥� learning and serving

New graduate Kristoffer Lavasi鈥檌 is Ng膩ruaw膩hia born and bred, but with international whakapapa.

He鈥檚 Palagi with Swiss ancestry on his mother鈥檚 side while his father is from Samoa. His parents encouraged him to go to university.

He chose the 糖心TV for two reasons 鈥� it offered all the subjects he wanted to study and it would keep him close to home and his aiga (family), immediate and extended.

But now he鈥檚 graduated he鈥檚 happily left the nest, having secured a Graduate Policy Officer position in Wellington with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT).

鈥淕rowing up, I cycled through most of the usual potential careers,鈥� Kristoffer says. 鈥淎 doctor for a while here, a teacher for a while there. But the dreams that stayed with me were the ones that had me becoming an ambassador, because who wouldn鈥檛 want to be paid to work overseas and learn to speak other languages.鈥�

His new job is the first step to realising that dream.

鈥淭he other career aspiration I had was to be a writer and I still harbour that dream. I鈥檝e loved books since I was young and I鈥檝e always found a rare solace in books and reading.鈥�

Kristoffer is graduating in April with a conjoint Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Social Sciences majoring in English and Psychology.

He says his mother encouraged him to study subjects that would lead to a career.

鈥淚 was blessed to be decent at study and found psychology interesting, and I knew I wanted to study English. I鈥檇 been at uni for about a year when I decided that my curiosity for law wouldn鈥檛 be satisfied with one paper, so I signed up for the whole degree,鈥� he says. 鈥淪ix years on and you could fill a room with the pages from all my assignments.鈥�

Kristoffer鈥檚 university years were enhanced with the extracurricular activities he got involved in on campus and externally by securing summer internships. He was president of the Pacific Law Students鈥� Association and served on the Samoan Students鈥� Association too.

鈥淭here were a lot of highlights but foremost was being part of Pacific at Waikato. To be in a community surrounded by incredible minds, fiercely devoted to uplifting, supporting and amplifying the voices of our people was an honour.鈥�

He completed two summer internships with the government鈥檚 Tupu Tai Policy Internship Programme for Pacific students: one with Te Kawa Mataaho Public Services Commission and the other with MFAT.

鈥淭hat gave me a practical insight into policy, that vague nebulous thing that exists at the periphery of law, psychology and many other things.

鈥淚t ignited my interest and became a clear means by which I could realise my aspiration to serve my community and my people at a level that could make lasting and transformative change,鈥� Kirstoffer says.

鈥淎nd I won an incredible [Waikato University] Summer Research Scholarship to work with Dr Maebh Long exploring modernism as a frame to understand and interpret Oceania, Pasifika and Moana texts. This and another paper I did under the incredible Dr Alice Te Punga Somerville, Pacific Texts, were great opportunities to see the works of people who shared my heritage being centred and respected. It was a blessing and a chance that too few get to experience.鈥�

If there were any challenges for Kristoffer, it was not to be scared off by imposter syndrome.

鈥淚t can be easy to look around your lecture theatres and the seas of students moving back and forth on campus to feel as though you don鈥檛 belong or you aren鈥檛 as bright. You have to keep reminding yourself that their abilities, their journeys, do not invalidate your own.鈥�

If he had any advice for future students he鈥檇 say be prepared to take time over your degree, that everyone鈥檚 journey progresses at its own pace and takes its own path.

鈥淚t can be easy to look around at others who seem to be moving faster, flying higher. But sometimes the slowest things go farthest, and the humblest beginnings sometimes lead to the most incredible things.鈥�