Alex Hunt - Bachelor of Social Work
The Bachelor of Social Work is allowing Alex Hunt to meaningfully engage with people, build connections and make a difference.
“Throughout high school my direction was focused on studying engineering or computer science, but my life experiences drew me to social work. I was diagnosed with a brain tumour in my final year of high school, giving me a 10% chance of survival. It was the biggest challenge of my life, and I couldn’t have got through it without the support from the people and organisations around me.
“After beating cancer, graduating high school and getting a taste of a few career options, I wanted a job that involved connecting with people and making a difference – so I enrolled in the Bachelor of Social Work.
“I love learning the theory and developing the skills to meaningfully engage with people, through interviewing, collaboration, consultation and strength-based perspectives. I’m about to go on a three-month practical placement, and I’m really looking forward to putting what I’m learning into practice.
The programme opens your eyes up to a whole range of customs and protocols in different cultures, setting you up to work with people of all backgrounds.
“Courses have a huge emphasis on te reo, whakawhanaungatanga and tikanga. The small class sizes and one-on-one support from lecturers has brought a sense of whānau to my cohort. We all have diverse backgrounds and journeys, but with the same goal: building connections and helping others.
“The degree is really broad and can lead in so many different directions, from youth work to agencies, but I think I want to work in the medical side of social work one day. If you want a career in community and relationship-building, the Bachelor of Social Work is definitely for you.”