At just 22 years old, Amy Gwynne is already making an impact on New Zealand’s environment.

As the first student to complete Unitec’s new Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Science (Biodiversity Management), Amy has transformed her passion for conservation into a fulfilling career protecting New Zealand’s borders with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

Originally from Auckland, Amy’s academic pathway began at the University of Otago, where she completed a Bachelor of Science majoring in Zoology.

Our providers will be the venue for next year’s Association for Pacific Staff in Tertiary Education (APSTE) National Conference.

This was confirmed at the 2025 APSTE Fono hosted by Victoria University of Wellington on 18 to19 August.

Unitec was represented at the APSTE Fono by eleven Pacific kaimahi who joined nearly two hundred kaimahi representing 22 tertiary institutions from across the motu.

Five years ago, the global COVID pandemic led to widespread job losses as economies around the world tightened.

For Madeleine McCarthy, it became the catalyst for a life-changing career shift.

At just 26, she had a clear path ahead of her having completed a university qualification and worked for several years in Australia before securing a paid internship with a major company.

Twenty-one-year-old Hana Kurukaanga was inspired to become a film editor after watching a YouTube music video and the story behind how it was made.

“I enjoyed the passion of the whole thing, and the description of how it was filmed and edited, talking about metaphors and storylines,” she says.

“It inspired me to want to tell stories through the art of editing and a hidden motif.”

Hana had become disillusioned with school after completing her Year 12 studies, and was casting around for what to do next.