Xanthe Moore
4th-year student, Bachelor of Arts in Event Management & Bachelor of Business in Finance conjoint programmes
Her biggest bit of advice for other students is to take up those opportunities outside of your studies, says Xanthe Moore who is currently studying Bachelor of Arts in Event Management & Bachelor of Business in Finance conjoint programmes.
“Enter those competitions, clubs and challenges that will help you develop the ideas you’ve learnt from your studies in real-life situations while making great connections outside of university. I’ve always been very motivated with my studies at AUT; however, I had a lightbulb moment when I realised the additional value I could gain from participating in those extra opportunities and challenges the university provides.
“My first successful entry into the X Challenge, a competition for budding entrepreneurs, started my passion for innovation and made me realise how much my opinion and ideas can be valued. After this experience, I gained the confidence to apply for other opportunities, including a scholarship to attend the Institute of Finance Professionals New Zealand conference and competing in the first ever Australia and New Zealand Sustainathon. Both opportunities served as excellent experiences I’ve learnt so much from.”
A passion for sustainability
Participating in the TCS Sustainathon 2022 – a problem-solving competition for university students in Australia and New Zealand to address real-world sustainability challenges using the power of technology – is an experience Xanthe is particularly proud of.
“The AUT X Challenge has had a big impact on my confidence to take on new opportunities and when I saw the TCS Sustainathon advertised on the AUT app, I knew I was interested. Luckily my good friend Gemma was up for the challenge too, and felt just as passionately as I do about making sustainable and innovative changes to improve the world.”
The duo chose to apply their skills and creativity to help Virgin Australia come up with an idea to reduce cabin waste in aircrafts and airports to improve sustainability in the travel sector.
“We submitted our idea and research in a short video with a PowerPoint presentation for the first round of judging. Once we made it to the finals, we were tasked with doing a five-minute ‘shark tank’ style pitch live in front of a panel of judges. This experience was completely new to me, and I’m grateful for all that I’ve learnt and the people I met along this journey.”
Their idea saw them winning first place in the TCS Sustainathon 2022 Virgin Australia Challenge on Cabin Waste: Keep it Circling Not Grounded, including a chance to attend the gala event in Sydney to receive their award.
An enjoyable university experience
For Xanthe, the people she met and the experiences she had are what she has enjoyed most about her time at AUT.
“I love the versatility of studying both business and event management, and my studies will provide double the amount of job prospects after I complete my degree. I’d recommend this programme to others as it opens your eyes to the different potential career paths. There’s also a clear progression path, starting from the basics. I’ve enjoyed the variety of courses available, enabling me to choose electives that are very interesting to me, including a course on the Holocaust, and one about the Deaf community and culture.”
Studying during a global pandemic wasn’t always easy, she admits, but having a close group of friends helped her throughout that time.
“Just after my first three weeks of university in 2020 New Zealand went into lockdown, completely transforming my university experience. AUT adapted well and supported students through this change. I was very fortunate that I had made two amazing new friends during my first weeks who played a massive role in motivating and supporting me through that time. The amazing lecturers were also very accommodating when we asked to work as a team, which made my experience so much better.”
