EIT | Te Pūkenga student Angus Bodle is the Valedictorian at the Tairāwhiti Campus graduation ceremony at the War Memorial Theatre in Gisborne on Friday.
EIT | Te Pūkenga Tairāwhiti Valedictorian Angus Bodle’s academic journey began when he attended Trades Academy as a school student and comes to a conclusion as he graduates with a Bachelor of Computing Systems on Friday.
He will be part of a cohort of students at the graduation ceremony at the War Memorial Theatre in Gisborne on Friday.
Angus, 21, says he was surprised when told that he had been chosen as EIT | Te Pūkenga Tairāwhiti Valedictorian as he had not been expecting it.
He is looking forward to graduating with a Bachelor of Computing Systems, majoring in Intelligent Systems. Supporting him on the day will be his family.
Born and bred in Tairāwhiti, Angus’ interest in computers stems back to when he was a student at Gisborne Intermediate School, trading his lunchtimes for spending time in the IT shed with his friends.
He enrolled in the computing programme in Trades Academy at the Tairāwhiti Campus while in year 12 and 13 at Lytton High School.
“I knew I wanted to study computing, but it was Trades Academy that assured me that EIT was the right place to study.”
Angus said that he found the programme enjoyable, but it did have its “ups and downs”, thanks to COVID-19 and Cyclone Gabrielle.
“We had to deal with remote learning for COVID-19 and also for the cyclone, because a whole lot of stuff wasn’t working at campus. It really was a challenge for us and for EIT.”
For Angus, a highlight of the programme was the “hands-on learning”.
“For me, the best reason to study the BCS at EIT is that you have that one-on-one time with your tutor, not like when you’re at a big university and there’s 1,000 students in your class.”
EIT | Te Pūkenga Senior IT Lecturer Tina Blumenthal said: “The past three years has been a tough ride, first with COVID and then Cyclone Gabrielle. And as one of the School of Computing lecturers, I congratulate all our BCS graduates for keeping the faith and demonstrating resilience in achieving their goals. It’s been a unique situation, but also a privilege to share the learning journey with this cohort.”
“Angus is an outstanding academic achiever who enthusiastically welcomed every opportunity to learn and develop professionally, both in class and by engaging with the sponsorship team in his internship. He has a wealth of talent, knowledge and skills, and is a shining star in our programme. I am sure he will be successful in his chosen career.”
“Angus has earned his achievements, and EIT School of Computing team acknowledge and thank him, with great pride, for accepting the role of Valedictorian for his graduation ceremony.”