Religious Studies student shines bright here and abroad
When Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington graduand Aria Gardiner was asked to address her cohort at one of the Graduation ceremonies, she was delighted. “It’s definitely a dream come true,” Aria says. “It feels like a very full circle moment for me.”
In secondary school, Aria was diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and it impacted every aspect of her life. “I had to leave school very abruptly. I went from being able to do everything, to not being able to do anything.”
Severely unwell for a few years, Aria was unable to complete NCEA to gain University Entrance. However after working part-time and volunteering at Kāpiti Youth Support and on the Kāpiti Coast District Youth Council, Aria knew she wanted to pursue further study, and applied for discretionary entrance to Te Herenga Waka.
In her first year, Aria’s courses covered a variety of different subjects, and from this she found a special passion for Religious Studies. “After two lessons I just knew I needed to make this into something.”
With the help of her Student Success Adviser, Aria added Religious Studies as her second major, alongside Development Studies. “I loved learning about how religion intersects with different parts of our world, some that we don’t even consider religious.
“The Religious Studies courses really engaged students in cool conversations,” Aria explains. “Our lecturer would come up with a relevant topic, and we’d just listen, learn, and kōrero about it. Everyone was able to share their own perspective. It challenged you to rethink about some of the existing ideas that you might have had.”