Even before beginning college, I knew I wanted to study or work abroad. In 2022, I got that chance. Since my chosen word for that year was "uncomfortable", I wanted the year to be full of stepping into the unknown, taking risks and leaving my comfort zone. I knew that New Zealand would offer me just that. So I accepted a summer internship in Auckland ew Zealand at Verve Magazine, where I designed and created a recipe e-book, created mock-up spreads for proposals, designed pages for online articles and even designed a digital billboard!

 

On weekends I explored both islands as much as I could. I was fortunate to experience true Māori culture by partaking in a pōwhiri, a formal welcoming ceremony, involving whaikōrero (formal speech), waiata (singing) and kai (food), all taking place inside a marae (meeting ground). We painted our faces, chanted and danced to the haka, and toured the native landscape of different tribes. Before going to New Zealand, I knew little about the Māori people, but how valuable it is to recognize and appreciate that there are so many different kinds of people and cultures in the world.

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