Kartik will graduate with a Bachelor of Social Work with Honours at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) and is in the process of securing a new role in the sector.
Kartik’s path to social work hasn’t been a traditional one. After high school, he began a trades career, before returning to education six years later. He says a difficult period became the turning point. "I went the trades route but wasn't happy. I've always been passionate about social justice and advocacy and walking alongside people on their journey of wellbeing, so decided to change direction. I've been raised in a household where doing things for your community is the right thing.”
Kartik says his family also supported him in his return to study. His mother, a nurse who immigrated to New Zealand from Fiji, went back to study as a single parent with two children. His sister, now a teacher, also returned to study in her late 20s while raising a family.
“My family showed me what you can achieve if it’s something you are passionate about. I'm really passionate about working with tamariki and rangatahi. I want to work alongside and empower whānau so that young people can thrive.”
As part of his coursework, Kartik spent three months at an organisation that worked with whānau and tamariki. “When you work with whānau where challenges may exist, you learn everyone has their inherent strengths, so you're able to scaffold support around that. I knew, during that placement, that this was where I could make an impact."
Kartik also undertook a second three-month placement with a refugee resettlement team. "We supported former refugees to settle, which was really cool, as we were able to work with so many people from diverse cultures and religious backgrounds. The big learning there was around cultural safety.”
Alongside fieldwork, Kartik says the overnight stay at Ōnuku Marae was also a programme highlight. “The course centres around te ao Māori and mātauranga Māori, with a focus on Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The Noho Marae was a culmination of that learning, and it also brought us together as a student community.
"Returning to study was a steep learning curve, but I had a lot of help from my family, classmates, the Academic Skills Centre and my lecturers. They were all there for me throughout my time at UC. It means everything to me to graduate and be able to support the wellbeing of whānau and communities. This has been a dream of mine.”
