Photo caption: Kayla Bishell (Ngāi Tahu & Te Ātiawa).
For Kayla Bishell (Ngāi Tahu & Te Ātiawa), graduating from Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) is more than a personal milestone - it’s a moment that reflects years of determination, support and transformation.
Raised in Picton and one of just a small cohort to finish high school, Kayla is the first in her immediate whānau to attend university. Kayla credits two of her high school teachers in particular, Mr Sykes and Ms Farry, as key to enabling her to find her passion in marketing.
“They went out of their way to create separate classes so I could study the topics I enjoyed,” she says.
Graduating is a milestone her whole whānau is celebrating. “It is a huge thing for me,” she says. “My parents are so excited and keep checking in with me to make sure I’ve done everything for graduation.”
Kayla completed a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Marketing with a minor in Te Reo Māori, a combination that reflects both her creative strengths and her desire to reconnect with her culture.
“I’ve always loved creating and designing,” she says, "but once I got into marketing, I realised how broad it really is, and that’s when I found behavioural marketing. I love the idea of using it to actually make a difference.”
That passion became personal during a third-year project, where students applied behaviour-change theory to their own habits. “It showed me how powerful these tools are. Instead of telling someone what they’re doing is wrong, you can help them change their behaviour,” she says.
As she looks ahead, her interest in behaviour change is now shaping a clear career direction - using marketing to influence safer decisions on our roads.
“I’ve seen how small decisions can have huge consequences. If I can help change someone’s decision to drive when they are not in a safe position to do so, that would mean everything. When I see people in that situation, I say: ‘Why risk the lives of others for the convenience of your own’.
“I’m a people person. Whatever I do, I want it to make a difference.”
Kayla’s journey to UC was made possible through UC’s Te Kakau a Māui scholarship, which provided both financial support and a strong sense of community. “It wasn’t just the money. It was the support I’ve received as part of the scholarship community. I didn’t feel alone coming to uni from a small town,” she says.
She also gave back as a tuakana mentor, supporting first-year students on the same scholarship as they navigated university life and built confidence.
Kayla says that confidence has been her biggest personal achievement since coming to UC. “I was so shy before uni. I had social anxiety and was scared to talk to people. Now I’m confident, I know who I am, and I love connecting with people.”
Alongside her studies, Kayla has built a strong sense of belonging through her flatting experience and friendships, describing her university community as ‘family’. "Having this community and friendships to lean on when things got a little tougher has been one of the key drivers behind my academic success."
Her minor in Te Reo Māori has also been a significant part of her journey. “University study has allowed me to explore a deeper connection to Te Reo Māori. I wanted to be part of it and learn. I’m not fluent yet but starting that journey has been really important.”
From a small-town student with big ambitions to a confident graduate ready to create change, Kayla’s UC journey has been as much about finding her purpose and her voice as it has been about earning her degree.
