Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti
14 mins ago
EIT Auckland Valedictorian Julie Mercado will graduate with a Master of Information Technology later this month.
A love for The Lord of the Rings and the aftermath of pandemic, has led EIT Auckland Valedictorian Julie Mercado to move from the Philippines to study for her master’s degree in New Zealand.
Thirty-two year old Julie will graduate with a Master of Information Technology on Tuesday 28th May at the Aotea Centre in Auckland. Not only that, she has also been asked to deliver a speech as Valedictorian.
She says she was very surprised when she was asked to be Valedictorian.
“I didn’t actually expect it. When I saw the email, I wondered if they had the correct person.”
Having completed a Bachelor of Information Technology in the Philippines, Julie decided to look abroad for an opportunity to do a postgraduate qualification.
“One of the reasons I chose New Zealand was because I love The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. I always watch it. But more than that I also heard good things about New Zealand and it’s one of the places on my bucket list. I have seen New Zealand thrive and have one of the most successful strategies among all countries during the pandemic”.
“I looked at a number of tertiary institutes in New Zealand, but I found the Master of Information Technology at EIT, which matched well on what I wanted to do and focus. It was my first choice because of the curriculum that EIT was offering.”
Making the move less challenging for Julie and her partner, Matthew, was that family and friends were there to support throughout the process.
Julie had been a software engineer in Philippines and then branched out into business intelligence, data architecture and infrastructure. She was ready for her next move and New Zealand seemed the perfect opportunity.
Since then she has not looked back and has particularly enjoyed the research focus of the master’s degree.
Having finished her degree last year, Julie soon got a job as a data engineer at AA Insurance. She has then moved on to an exciting new role as an Analytics Engineer at Plexure.
She says that she is enjoying her new life.
“It’s peaceful and quiet here and we experience work-life balance as well. I think we’ll be staying here for a while or maybe for good.”
For now, Julie is focused on her graduation and writing that speech of hers.
“Looking forward to graduation and celebrating success with everyone.”
EIT Auckland Campus Director Cherie Freeman says: “EIT chose Julie as the valedictorian because she represents the students that came to study with us at EIT after the pandemic.”
“Grateful for the opportunity to be in New Zealand and contribute to building our economy after Covid 19, Julie worked hard at her studies while continuing to remain positive and happy. Julie was well liked by her fellow students and staff. We all wish her well in her future endeavours.”
