Bachelor of Health Sciences graduate, Eve Ji is now employed by Pegasus Health where she works on a number of health initiatives, including the Appetite for Life programme, a six week course that helps people make healthy lifestyle improvements. Eve tells us why she chose to study at the University of Canterbury (UC), how one health course inspired her to make a subject change, and that support makes all the difference.

Eve moved to New Zealand from China in 2011 to attend Middleton Grange School. Thinking about university study, and keen to stay in Christchurch, she attended the UC Open Day during her final year of secondary school. That experience inspired her to become a UC student.
“I enjoyed what I saw on that day,” she says. “My decision was mostly affected by the impression I got from the open day.”

Many students at UC relish the opportunity to try different courses and find their unknown passion. Eve highlights that this flexibility was vital for her.

“It took me some time to figure out what I really wanted to study. In my first year of UC, I was trying different subjects, such as math, Spanish, and stats, and so on. The paper called Introduction to Health Sciences caught my attention. It is one of my favourite papers that I did. This particular paper made me decide the Bachelor of Health Sciences was what I wanted.”

Eve says she enjoyed getting to know the course lecturers and felt that they were committed to supporting her study journey. “I did feel supported while studying, especially from Raesha Ismail (current BHSc Programme Coordinator). She was very supportive to all the students.”

Raesha says that Eve was a wonderful student to teach and is thrilled she has been able to gain employment so quickly after graduating.

“I first came across Eve as a student in my Health Education major. She enrolled in the paper Nutrition and Physical Activity. Eve showed a real interest throughout the course and displayed a passion for nutrition education. So when she chose to complete the Health Science Internship course at 300 level it made perfect sense to place her within a nutrition context. The opportunity came up at Pegasus Health and it ticked all the boxes for Eve in terms of her passion and skills. Being of another cultural background was an additional bonus. Eve did an amazing job during her internship, so much so, that they decided to hire her for a job! She will be a great asset to the Healthy Lifestyles team at Pegasus Health. I am very proud of Eve. She is a wonderful example of what can be achieved when you work hard and follow your passion,” says Raesha.

Eve says that UC is a place that can suit anyone who wants to further their education and she is living proof that someone from different background can effectively follow their passions. “There is lots of support to help you go where you want to be,” she says.