Gaining skills and experience through our leadership programmes

16 March 2022

The Wellington Plus and Wellington International Leadership Programme (WILP) are renowned extracurricular programmes that help students develop themselves both socially and professionally. Claudia van Zijl and Eden Roberts talked to myView about their experience in the programmes and how it has equipped them for the future.

*Staff and students (including Claudia and Eden) celebrate WILP and Wellington Plus graduates at the Leadership Programmes’ award ceremony in 2021*.

myView:
What are the Wellington Plus and WILP Programmes?

Eden Roberts Wellington Plus is the University’s award-winning extracurricular service and leadership development programme. It connects you with your community through volunteering, provides leadership opportunities, and develops your social responsibility and employability skills.

Claudia van Zijl:
WILP is an interdisciplinary programme that advances your ability to critically engage with global issues; presents creative, diverse, and innovative approaches to global citizenship.

myView:
What can students gain from doing the Wellington Plus and WILP programmes?

CVZ:
One of my favourite parts of the programme was that it encouraged me to get involved in experiential activities.

I ended up doing things that I probably would not have done otherwise, such as being a buddy to international students and joining the Ako in Action programme. You can also become eligible for grants to support overseas exchange semesters or virtual international internships.

ER:
I signed up to the Wellington Plus Programme to soak up as much of the university experience as I could—getting involved in the community through volunteering. I was able to build up my CV and prepare for a career after university, which has helped me land my dream job.

*Students, including some from WILP, enjoy some downtime in Shanghai during a Prime Minister’s Scholarship programme visit in early 2020*.

myView:
What types of things do you do in the programmes?

CVZ:
I really liked how WILP was so holistic – you choose from a range of experiential activites, seminars and speaker events. I was able to learn things from so many different areas— global citizenship, sustainability, activism, identity, intercultural competence, leadership and heaps more. I found that what I learnt in speaker events provoked interesting discussions in the seminars, and I could apply this in action in the experiential activities. I feel as though I’ve also learnt a lot about global issues and how to talk to people with different perspectives, being able to challenge each other, and contemplate why we have these opinions. Comparing my leadership skills from when I first started the programme to now, I can see real growth in myself.

ER:
I enjoyed all the activities I was involved in, including mentoring Māori students with Āwhina, fundraising for the Breast Cancer Foundation, and facilitating wellbeing workshops for students.

I further supported students through being a class rep multiple times, an international student’s buddy through the International Buddy programme, and my absolute favourite was writing for Salient a handful of times on a range of different issues important to me such as sexual health and Māori education and the revitalisation of Te Reo.

*Every year the University celebrates our leadership programmes’ participants at the Leadership Programmes award ceremony.*

myView:
How do you both think the experience is going to serve you well in the future?

ER:
Completing the Wellington Plus Award gave me the opportunity to reflect on my university journey and to feel proud of the mahi I’ve done in my community. I can use this experience to make the big jump into the corporate world. I’ve already been able to apply the skills I gained from Wellington Plus to my new job and establish myself knowing I have a strong foundation.

It took me two and a half years to complete my degree and the Wellington Plus Award. Over that time, I grew, developed, networked, gained new skills and experiences, and became more connected to my community and the university.

CVZ:
This year in my graduate job, I may not have the opportunity to lead that much. But through WILP I have also learnt about how to be a good teammate, which will enhance my manager’s ability to lead our team. In my second or third year, I look forward to having more opportunities to be a leader and applying what I’ve learned. I also know that my confidence in my ability to lead has improved through WILP and I am excited to be able to jump at these opportunities. These skills will stay with me for life and I’m thrilled that I’ve been able to develop them before starting my career.

Overall, WILP has been an amazing experience. It has really made my time at university a lot more enjoyable and I have learnt so much more than I would have just through my degrees.

Claudia van Zijl has completed a Bachelor of Science in Ecology & Biodiversity and a Bachelor of Laws, and Eden Roberts has completed a Bachelor of Arts, double-majoring in Asian Studies and Political Science. They’ll be graduating form Te Herenga Waka in May this year.

Interested in sharing your experience? Read our submission guidelines and get in touch with your story ideas.