Sharing the excitement of Asia with secondary students

If you want to get secondary students excited about their future in Asia, it makes sense to get young leaders involved. So say Fiona Natusch and Ana Baide, who were among eight young leaders that spoke to Wellington East Girls’ College (WEGC) students at the school’s Asia Aware Day at the end of November.

Baide explained. “Young leaders are ideal role models for adolescents. They are still young enough to relate well to students, level with them, and make achieving extraordinary feats seem realistic and not too far out of reach.”

About 200 Year 10 students took part in the Asia Aware Day, the second the school has held. WEGC Year 12 Dean Anna Wilson said the young leaders’ visit was a vital part of the programme. “Through their interaction with the Asia:NZ young leaders, the students gained an insight into the possibilities they have in their future of travel, study and work.”

Natusch wanted to speak at the Asia Aware Day because her own interest in Asia was sparked while she was in high school, where she studied Japanese. Her interest in Japan led her to study East Asian trade and economic development at university. This opened up the opportunity for her to do a four-month Asia:NZ business internship at an ANZ subsidiary in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Natusch said, “Cambodia is not the first country that comes to people’s minds when you mention Southeast Asia. I wanted to encourage students to realise that there is a lot more to Asia than first meets the eye. There is so much you just can’t learn from the media and textbooks. I hoped that by sharing my story I might be able to return the favour and stimulate a few students’ interest in Asia.”

Baide told the students about how learning Chinese at high school had launched her on an amazing journey of unpredictable experiences and learning, including spending a month in Kunming, China studying Mandarin on an Asia:NZ/Confucius Institute scholarship.

“The students were very excited about the stories I had to tell – they were eager to ask questions, to comment and tell me about themselves.”

Besides listening to the young leaders’ talks, students also participated in Asian-themed workshops including sushi-making, yoga, and Chinese calligraphy.

Image: Young leaders at the WEGC Asia Aware Day (L-R) Evan Blackie, Ana Baide, Denise Zhang, Jeanne McKnight, Frances Yamada and Fiona Natusch.