Jaelen finds purpose in Health career

Jaelen Uini, NZMA graduate, was inspired to study healthcare after his mum suffered devastating injuries in an accident.

Despite the shocking scene, he remained calm and did his best to carefully get his mum into his car so he could take her to the hospital.

“As I look back, I am proud of how I kept calm and controlled my emotions. This is what inspired me to pursue a career in health that directly helps people.”

At first, Jaelen was apprehensive about getting into tertiary education following his gap year, but the NZMA team at the Manukau campus made the transition easy.

“Studying at NZMA is a good way to pathway into higher level education. I liked the manageable timetables, the small class sizes, and the way the tutors connected with me.”

At 19-years-old, Jaelen has achieved a Level 3 and 4 health qualification, providing him with a wealth of knowledge.

“We learned about health systems in great depth. Before NZMA, I didn’t know much about the health sector. I got to learn about how the health system is structured, and human biology beyond just muscles and stuff. It was a challenging programme, but good.”

Jaelen wants to do more with his life than “just going to work and going home.”

He hopes to become a youth worker at a school in South Auckland – perhaps the one he went to.  

Jaelen encourages anyone considering study with NZMA to give it ago: “I think NZMA has a great recipe for how to connect with people and relate to students compared to universities.”

“Heaps of opportunities come up there. There are so many career paths to choose from."