Photo caption: University of Canterbury Bachelor of Communication graduate Lucia Willis
Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) Bachelor of Communication graduate Lucia Willis started university studying law and political science before a communications course prompted her to reconsider where she was heading.
“I didn't really consider communications when I was at high school,” Willis says.
“Halfway through my first year, I switched to a Bachelor of Communication majoring in Communication Strategy and Practice.”
A keen footballer, Willis could see how communications might also provide a way into the sector she had always had an interest in.
“As someone with a particular interest in sport, I saw it tie in really well with sport media, sport marketing, strategic communications and PR.”
She now combines those interests as Communications and Marketing Coordinator with Wellington regional sports trust Nuku Ora.
“It's a really varied role,” she says. “There’s a big focus on telling stories, so it’s the perfect combination of sport and active recreation, and comms and marketing.”
Willis says some of the learning she initially thought might be theoretical has proved particularly useful since starting work.
“Understanding audiences has been a massive one, and a lot of the frameworks I learnt at university have been really helpful in my work so far,” she says.
“The practical projects were really valuable too. We got to apply those skills to real briefs, including producing video content and developing a communications plan for the German Embassy in Wellington.”
Her degree also gave her the opportunity to study overseas. Willis spent her final six months on exchange at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom, something she had wanted to do since before starting at UC.
The exchange gave her the chance to explore subjects outside her usual programme, but she says some of the most important learning happened beyond the classroom.
“The exchange was about more than the university side of it. It made me much more independent and comfortable being on the other side of the world, and I think that made things like moving to Wellington for work feel a lot less daunting.”
Alongside her studies, Willis was also looking for opportunities to gain experience in the sports industry.
In 2024, she was selected for a women-in-sport leadership programme, which led to a volunteer media opportunity with the Black Ferns and gave her first-hand experience of communications in international sport.
Willis believes experiences like these helped when she began applying for graduate roles and reinforced the decision she had made in her first year to pursue an area she genuinely enjoyed.
“A few people around me didn't want me to leave law when I left, but this is what I really wanted to do,” she says.
“Whatever you're interested in, follow your passion.”
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