“And when I came to New Zealand, my life was entirely different. Palmerston North is not crowded, the people here are so friendly and welcoming. It is a peaceful environment. I enjoy everything about my Kiwi life here.”

 

Charlotte McMillan

 

Coming from California, Charlotte came to New Zealand with an adventurous spirit and wanting to discover a different angle to the world. After completing high school and studying nursing in the US, she decided to move abroad and continue her ambitions in New Zealand. That led Charlotte to enrol the Bachelor of Nursing programme at UCOL.

 

“I got strong recommendations about the reputation and well-known quality of the nursing programme at UCOL, especially about its practicality and the high probability of being employed after study. After six weeks at UCOL, I enjoyed the study environment, and I knew I had made the right decision.”

 

The study programmes at UCOL met Charlotte’s expectations. She said: “It is even more incredible than I imagined. I love the science side of my course so much that I can spend hours at the labs. The most interesting part of my study is the placements when I can work with hospitals. That is when I get practical knowledge and experiences as well as seeing many working opportunities”.

“I got a part-time job from these placements while studying.” Charlotte said proudly. She currently works at MASH Trust, Mental Health and Addiction Services in Palmerston North city. “I love being a support worker at MASH Trust because it is closely related to my study and personal interest, the best fit for a nursing student.”

Having grown up in Silicon Valley, a metropolitan area with the highest concentration of high technology, moving to New Zealand was a huge change. Charlotte said: “One day when looking at driverless cars going everywhere; I realised that it was the right time to get myself out of that little bubble. I wanted to broaden my perspective. I was highly motivated to discover what the actual world was like”.

 

“And when I came to New Zealand, my life was entirely different. Palmerston North is not crowded, the people here are so friendly and welcoming. It is a peaceful environment. I enjoy everything about my Kiwi life here.”

 

Charlotte loves hiking in her free time. “Just a short drive from the city centre, there are many interesting natural places to go tramping or hiking. New Zealand is a great country for hiking, so I get ample opportunity to fulfil my interest.”

“The longer I live in New Zealand, the more interesting I’ve found my life here.”Charlotte loves living in Palmerston North, New Zealand, and she hopes to stay and work as a nurse after her study. With her adventurous spirit, she also plans to travel to Southeast Asian countries to get more diverse experiences of the world.

 

UCOL Bachelor of Nursing student - Charlotte McMillan