Bhawana

I’d also never had prior experience with coding, and I really wanted to learn that.

Additionally, my friend who’d previously studied this programme was very successful, so I knew the degree would give me the skills I needed to also succeed.

How did your internship experience benefit you career-wise?

I landed an internship role with the Christchurch City Council working on the dashboard for civil defence. My internship supervisor ended up taking that dashboard to conferences and meetings, letting them know that I had done that work. He’d also take me along sometimes.

Having that hands-on experience and being able to show impactful work I had actually done went a long way in helping me earn my current role.

What is your current role and what does it entail?

I am a Geospatial Analyst for the Northland Regional Council. Day-to-day, I support internal and external stakeholders by providing training on ArcGIS Field Maps, helping set up ArcGIS profiles, creating maps to support decision-making, and setting up surveys to make data collection easier for teams. I’m also configuring a large dashboard for Civil Defence Emergency Management, which will provide a one-stop-shop for civil defence staff in an emergency event.

I’ve been here for a year now, and I’m loving it.

Do you feel that the skills you developed through your Master’s are
helping you succeed in your career?

Absolutely! Everything I learned at UC is very relevant to my role. I built skills that I now use daily in my job. Even Python coding, which we previously weren’t using, is now being discussed as being used at work, so having those skills will be very helpful.

Where do you want to make the biggest impact?

People are important, so I really want to help our communities. Working in emergency management enables us to better prepare for an emergency event using GIS data. In the aftermath, GIS data can also help us reach out to people, provide food and shelter, and make sure their welfare needs are met. This is even more important now as extreme weather events like flooding are becoming more common.

My GIS skills can take me anywhere, so if I ever return to Nepal in the future and want to work with wildlife in forestry, I can do that too – and that would still be important work that would allow me to continue doing things that benefit society.

What was it like returning to study after some time away?

I was an introvert in my undergrad days so it was difficult in the beginning, but my husband encouraged me to stick with it because I was following my passion. My parents always encouraged us to keep learning, so that was another motivator. I eventually began making friends who ended up helping me a lot, and the rest of my time went very smoothly.

What did you like about studying and living in Christchurch?

When I first moved to New Zealand, my husband and I lived in Wānaka. After visiting Christchurch and seeing the greenery, the vibes of the city, and the great work-life balance, I told my husband that I wanted to move there. Studying at UC gave us a reason to move, and I loved it. Christchurch is my second home now. I’m currently in the North Island for my job, but Christchurch still has my heart.