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Celebrating our graduates

1 July, 2022
News and events

This week’s graduation ceremony was an extra special one because of the challenges our latest batch of graduates have had to overcome in order to succeed.

At yesterday’s ceremony, Otago Polytechnic Board Chair Adam La Hood praised the perseverance of graduates who had faced extended lockdowns and online learning during their studies.

“You had to adapt, dig deep, and trust that our Otago Polytechnic Auckland International Campus team would get you through.”

Now that they’d completed their qualifications, they possessed the skills they needed to achieve great things, he said.

“I’m confident that with these new skills and the experience you have gained during your time at Otago Polytechnic Auckland International Campus, success will come.”

Adam said having an international campus was an opportunity to bring many cultures, beliefs, religions, and ideas together.

“That diversity is what makes Otago Polytechnic Auckland International Campus so special and distinctly unique.”

Graduate Diploma in Applied Management graduate, Christiaan Bredenkamp, gave the student address at yesterday’s ceremony.

Chris arrived on our campus in October 2020 from South Africa. His intelligence, open-mindedness, and patience made him a valuable Student Ambassador. He later became the campus Student Representative and has since joined the OPAIC team of staff.

Chris said this he and his fellow graduates had succeeded not only of their own accord but thanks to the support they gave each other as well as the love and support they’d received from family and friends in New Zealand and abroad.

A lot had been expected from this week’s graduates due to rapidly changing circumstances over the past year, he said.

“You have all shown your determination, your tenacity, your strength, your willingness to carry on no matter the challenge,” said Chris.

“I believe that we will all leave here as changed individuals, moulded not only by what we learned but what we faced and overcame during our studies.”