Turning determination into change for Pacific communities

Driven by a desire to make a difference in Pacific communities, Alexandra Gasū has graduated with a Bachelor of Science majoring in Psychology, while balancing full-time work, distance study, and summer school papers along the way.

Originally from Ōtara in South Auckland, Alexandra chose Massey University because of the flexibility of distance learning, which allowed her to balance full-time work alongside her studies.

Determined to complete her degree as efficiently as possible, Alexandra studied part-time while also taking summer school papers, finishing her qualification in just three and a half years.

Her passion for psychology was driven by a desire to better understand and support Pacific communities, particularly in the area of mental health.

“For me, it was seeing the gaps in Pacific communities in terms of mental health and education about human behaviour and why we do things the way we do. There just aren’t enough resources out there to help people navigate that.”

Alexandra hopes to use the knowledge and skills gained through her studies to help bridge those gaps and serve her community.

Graduation day was especially meaningful because it marked the end of a journey filled with both challenges and support from loved ones.

“My highlight is having the people that I love around me. They’ve been through the ups and downs with me,” she says.

During her studies, Alexandra experienced the loss of her father, who had been there at the beginning of her university journey.

“It was hard to navigate in the middle of the journey, but we made it to the end. That’s what I’m happy about.”

Now, Alexandra is already looking ahead to the next chapter. She has continued her studies with a postgraduate diploma in Psychology.

“I saw it was just one more year, so I thought, while everything’s still fresh in my mind, why not continue?”

Her advice to other Pacific students wanting to make a difference in their communities is simple:

“Just go for it. There are so many brilliant minds in the Pacific community. Act on those ideas, don’t just leave them in the vault. Walk the talk.”