Grayson Hughes

Read about how Grayson studied engineering so that he could be part of making life easier for his home country of Samoa.

"I come from a small village in Samoa where people value and help one another. Not surprisingly, it took me a while to adjust to studying in New Zealand. Everything was different."

"I chose Victoria University of Wellington because of my interest in coding and robotics. I’m fascinated by the application capabilities of this field. Samoa is a small country and there are many ways that technology can make our lives easier. An important focus of my studies is to help Samoa advance in the ever-accelerating world of technology."

"Of all the different organisations around the university, Te Rōpū Āwhina is the one that has had the greatest impact on me. Āwhina has helped me keep on top of my coursework. Working with mentors who have the same subject interests as me but who are studying at a higher level encouraged me to meet my own goals."

"What I like about Āwhina is that we support one another, put back to poor communities and schools and work hard. Āwhina is my home away from home."

Grayson completed his Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Electronics and Computer System Engineering in 2018. He is now back in Samoa, working as an electrical engineer for the Electric Power Corporation (EPC).