Lauren Stirling, 13 August 2026
Navigating Career Success in a New Country
On Thursday, a group of senior former refugee students attended the inaugural Former Refugee Pathway Speedmeet at Queen’s High School.
Secondary students from Otago Boys’, Queen’s, King’s, Bayfield and Taieri College attended the event and were able to hear from many different role models who were invited to speak. Many of the speakers discussed different pathways into trades, polytechnic programmes, and university study. Others, who had refugee backgrounds themselves, shared their personal journeys to New Zealand and spoke about the challenges they faced adapting to a new country, learning English, and building a successful future. They explained how they found employment, pursued further education, and, in some cases, even started their own businesses.
A common message from all of the speakers was the importance of making the most of opportunities given to you, work hard to achieve your goals, try and make connections with as many people as you can, and trust in yourself. At the end of this event, all the boys from our school who attended came away with a clearer understanding of the career paths they want to follow and left feeling more confident about seeking support to achieve their goals.
This Speedmeet was extremely beneficial for all the students who attended, encouraging them to think about their futures and showing them that anything is possible. We would like to thank the guest speakers for sharing their experiences and insights, the careers advisors who organised the event, and Queen’s High School for hosting. We look forward to attending this event again in the future.
