Qi (Joanna) Wang

Bachelor of Applied Management

China

Qi (Joanna) Wang has gained valuable work experience, learned new skills, and expanded her understanding of sustainability during her internship.

Joanna has been completing an internship with the Green Office Toitū at OPAIC. The office is all about supporting sustainability initiatives on campus.

As part of her internship, Joanna has been working as a Project Manager for the Aureate Reforestation Project in Waihi. Her role includes recruiting students to volunteer to plant trees, arranging their trips, then gathering feedback from students to pass along to the project organisers.

It also includes everything from keeping an eye on the weather forecast to organising meals that cater to everybody’s dietary requirements. She also plans social activities for after the work is finished.

Joanna says she’s learned to design newsletters, promote events to students, and write professional emails to stakeholders during her internship too.

Joanna has now developed an interest in project management. She would like to find a job related to marketing or project management after she graduates.

“I’ve got some experience and I love to engage with people and communicate with them.”

She says working with others in this way gives her a sense of community.

Joanna is glad she made the decision to study at OPAIC.

“I’ve made a lot of friends here. I also enjoy the study because the lecturers are very supportive.”

“They take care of all of their students, helping us with our assignments and any other issues in our lives.”

She loves the small class sizes and one-on-one support and credits her lecturers with helping her win an Excellent Scholar Award for top academic performance during her course work.

She wants to thank OPAIC for the internship opportunity.

“It’s allowed me to get valuable work experience and learn new skills and also expand my understanding of sustainability.”

She says she has learned a lot about this area from both an academic and practical perspective during her study. All of her courses could be related back to sustainability.

She’ll be able to take this knowledge back to China one day, as she says the country also cares about sustainability. But for now, she’d like to get a few years of work experience in New Zealand.