Page 20 - IB FEB 2020

AUT Advertorial

Towards positive

health and educational

outcomes for all

Becks Lafo’Ou Lusa, UniPrep 2020 Project Lead with students enrolled in this year’s UniPrep programme.

Becks Lafo’Ou Lusa is passionate about creating healthier futures reaching out to those students, guiding and
for Pacific communities and other minority groups around the world. empowering them, particularly during what
Half Samoan and half Tongan, the 24-year-old holds a Bachelor of can be a very vulnerable and confusing time.”
Health Science, majoring in Public Health; and a Postgraduate Hon- For Becks, UniPrep encapsulates the spirit
ours degree in Health Science, both from AUT. With a strong health of AUT.
foundation in hand, she is now pursuing a Bachelor of Medicine and “I really enjoyed the natural environment
Surgery in Dunedin. and collaborative approach of teaching and
For Becks, pursuing a career in health is about helping achieve learning at AUT, especially within the health
good health and education outcomes for marginalised groups around science degree,” she says. “The group-
the world, and in doing so creating a pathway that is equitable for based style of teaching and learning was
everyone to follow. familiar to me, having grown up in a Pacific
“There are so many groups under-represented in health statistics family. At AUT, I had the opportunity to learn
world-wide,” explains Becks. “I want to contribute to addressing is- Becks Lafo’Ou Lusa, in an environment I am comfortable in and
sues relating to underrepresentation, and at the same time, create a UniPrep 2020 Project work with people from different backgrounds.
Lead at Auckland
pathway for others to succeed too.” University of Technology’s I had good relationships with my lecturers,
Becks is well-qualified to speak to this. Her Honours disserta- South Campus. who were approachable and willing to see
tion had a specific focus on Tertiary education success for minority me succeed.
groups, with findings revealing that student support, mentoring and a “I can see all these qualities within UniPrep – the togetherness and
need for teachers in secondary and tertiary institutes to focus on how the collaborative nature of the programme, being able to guide and
the delivery and application of their content can determine the educa- empower so some many different students straight out of high school
tional outcomes for Pacific learners. as they to navigate their way through the first few weeks of university
“Achieving equitable outcomes for Pacific students in education is and find their place in this totally new environment.”
important. We need the right pathways co-designed to see more of
our young people become integrated into all types of spaces, that will Equal access for all
change the game completely.” “Upon graduating, I want to integrate my love for education with my
love for medicine,” says Becks. “I want to open a community hub, us-
Empowering others to follow the university pathway ing my experiences to create a wrap-around service which will provide
Becks is also Project Lead for AUT’s flagship university preparation healthcare and the necessary services for families and communities.
programme – UniPrep, a five-week initiative held at the AUT South “A major obstacle for marginalised communities is not knowing
Campus in Manukau designed to assist new students, including stu- where they can go to get help, or that it’s ok to ask for help. Having a
dents from the Pacific, in their successful transition into university. centralised hub, that is both accessible and affordable would hopeful-
“Pacific students are collaborative learners,” says Becks. “This ly reduce barriers for students and families and really start to equalise
is why at AUT, programmes like UniPrep have been really crucial in the playing field for future leaders to come through.”

20 Islands Business, February 2020