Meet our students and graduates

Current Job: Applications Support Analyst, The University of Auckland

Shehan Jayasekera avoided mathematics as much as he could – that is until he realised he needed it. Now, with a BSc in Computer Science and a job that he loves, he accepts that learning to love mathematics was an important step in his professional and personal development. From his passion for dance to his work coding web applications, Shehan has tapped into the rhythm of life and is inspired by the mathematics that is inherent in everything around us.

Although calculus was a favourite subject in high school, Shehan’s love for maths was really unleashed when he began university. He completed his degree in 2007 and was employed by The Warehouse before starting work for The University of Auckland in 2009. He successfully applied for a promotion in 2010 and began working in his current role of Applications Support Analyst. In his role, Shehan enjoys playing with the code and software to see how things work, and improving functionality for users. But it’s not all about the technicalities and being behind the scenes. One of Shehan’s favourite things about his work is the interaction with people, and delivering what his customers need.

A love of mathematics set Shehan on a path of personal and professional discovery, and ultimately lead him to a career that excites and inspires him every day. With his future wide open, Shehan is confident that he will continue to feel the rhythm in everything he does.

Current job: Ecologist, Environmental Services, Auckland Council

Abigail Forbes completed her Bachelor of Science in 2005 and went on to complete a Master of Science with first class honours in 2007. She has been working at Auckland Council ever since, and can boast one of the most impressive offices in the city – it includes beaches, forests and even mountain tops.

Abigail’s role at Auckland Council is to provide specialist ecological expertise to assist in the protection and restoration of indigenous ecosystems and biodiversity. This could be by providing input into operational programmes and regulatory and non-regulatory processes. There is no such thing as a normal day for Abigail. One day she could be surveying forests, wetlands and beaches to assess their health and see what plant and animal species live there; the next she could be looking at a proposed housing subdivision to see what ecological effects that development may have.

Abigail is able to work outdoors and travel around the country meeting other professionals in the same industry. With climate change and sustainability such hot topics around the world, ecology and biodiversity are part of a growing industry. New Zealand needs more people who are passionate about the environment to help work out the best way to protect and enhance our natural treasures. Treasures like the North Island Brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) that Abigail is holding, who was one of 15 birds that were released in 2006 at Tawharanui Open Sanctuary, an Auckland Council regional park. A total of 40 kiwi have now been released in the park. Successful breeding of these kiwi at Tawharanui led to the first wild kiwi being hatched on the Auckland mainland for 60 years!

Current job: PhD students and director of The university of Auckland Myopia Control Clinic

"I chose optometry because it offers a blend of the science and technology subjects that have always interested me, as well as excellent career prospects. My first job after qualifying was as a therapeutic optometrist in a busy private practice. I enjoyed interacting with patients, developing my clinical skills, and supervising my own students. A highlight was working on difficult or unusual cases that allowed me to use all my knowledge and research skills to find solutions."

"During my practice I became interested in childhood myopia (short sightedness), a common condition that can be managed - but not treated - with current technology. I decided to return to university to research a possible treatment for myopia in children, using eye drops to halt its progression. I’m now enrolled in a PhD and the direction my career will take depends on the outcome of my research. I want to do whatever is of greatest benefit to children with myopia, be it continuing with research, commercialising a new treatment, or returning to clinical practice."

"I highly recommend the BOptom degree. While many students enter private practice there are other career opportunities, such as research. There’s a consistently high demand for optometrists and this will only increase as more procedures move from hospitals to clinics, and as the population ages. The optometric community is small and there’s a real sense of camaraderie right from the first days at university; you are getting taught by your future professional peers."

"The University of Auckland trains optometry graduates to the highest level, so they can work immediately in New Zealand or many countries overseas, and are well prepared for future developments in the profession. The onsite clinic, and relationships with hospitals and specialists, expose students to a wide range of eye conditions and help develop their professional networks. There’s also a strong research component to the course that keeps students up to date and teaches useful investigative skills."

Current job: Programme Manager, Datacom

"Programme management is all about communication, big-picture problem solving, and developing strategies to meet customer expectations on time and within budget. I really enjoy using those skills and seeing projects through to completion."

"I generally work on large systems implementation projects with several components. Most recently I’ve
been leading a project implementing new systems for our client, helping them to compete more successfully for business by providing improved IT flexibility and enhancing the technology experience for its customers."

"I’ve been with Datacom for fifteen years, since graduating from university. After starting in a technical role in database administration I began taking on project work and management responsibilities and eventually moved into project management. I recently completed certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP)."

"Having a technical background is essential for my role. It allows me to understand what my team can deliver and how a solution might be reached, so that I can act as an interpreter between our customers and staff. I’ve always been interested in computers but only considered studying computer science once I reached university. I chose a computer science paper as part of my first year of architecture and enjoyed it so much that I transferred to a Bachelor of Science."

"Studying science teaches you to solve problems, apply yourself, and manage your time well. Subjects like computer science allow you to work toward a concrete goal and there’s a real sense of achievement when you get there."

"Computer science is an excellent career choice. There’s no shortage of jobs, the work is fulfilling and generally well paid, and the opportunities are much wider than you might think. While some people choose technical careers there are also many people-focused roles like mine."

Current job: Actuarial Analyst, Sovereign

"Statistics was a natural choice for me. I’m fascinated by the magic of numbers and working with them is like a game. I enjoy using my statistical knowledge and skills to answer practical questions. It’s really satisfying to convert mathematical problems into solutions that can be used and understood by anyone."

"All organisations, from private companies to government departments, use statistics in some form so there are many career opportunities for statistics graduates."

"During my studies in Russia, where I gained my Bachelor of Science in statistics, I worked as a sales analyst for Johnson & Johnson. Later I decided on further study and chose The University of Auckland as one of the top 100 universities in the world."

"I’m happy with my choice and would recommend studying statistics at the university. The academic staff are very supportive and the teaching resources are excellent. The courses are practical and students apply all the theory they learn to real-life situations."

"After graduating, I joined New Zealand’s largest life insurance company, Sovereign, as an Actuarial Analyst. Actuaries are at the heart of an insurance company and are crucial to its profitability and success. They have diverse roles, which include creating new products, setting customer premiums, tracking claims trends and evaluating performance. I work in financial reporting, examining profitability and performance to help the company make the best financial decisions. I love the variety in my job as I work on a wide range of projects and no day is the same."

"The basic requirement for a role like mine is a Bachelors degree in mathematics or statistics. To become a fully qualified actuary I’ll sit professional exams over the next several years. Sovereign supports me by providing study leave and remuneration as I pass my exams."

"My work is challenging but very rewarding and my mind is constantly active."

Current job: Policy Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

"I chose a BSc in Maths as part of a conjoint Arts/Science degree mainly because I enjoyed it. I felt that having a science background would add to any qualification by demonstrating my capacity to deal with quantitative analysis and numerical reasoning."

"I currently work for the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) Unit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, working towards establishing freer and safer trade within the APEC region. I will be soon be moving to the New Zealand Embassy in Jakarta, assisting New Zealand companies trading in Indonesia, seeking to improve trading conditions between our two countries and analysing regional economic trends and how they might affect New Zealand."

"A career at MFAT had been a long-term goal; while entry was competitive, I believe that having diverse qualifications helped. It’s fair to say that there isn’t a great deal of multivariable calculus or number theory in my day to day work; working on trade and economic issues, however, the capacity to analyse numbers, trends and formulae quickly and accurately is immensely valuable. When emotional and political arguments stand between you and a negotiating breakthrough, having cold, hard numbers can be very useful."

"A BSc will set you apart, particularly in the public service, if you have the communication skills and adaptability to apply it to a variety of situations. This is particularly true in a time where science and public policy are continually intersecting – the more people qualified in science the better."