She is the third generation of Palmers to have walked the halls of the Old Government Buildings, but despite that, the decision to pursue a degree in law surprised even Helena.
Sat at her dining room table during a global pandemic, Helena chose to do a school history assignment on Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s involvement in gender equality in the United States’ Constitution. What she found changed the direction of her career and life.
“I really enjoyed learning about the process of it all, and how these very theoretical battles can have such an impact on real people’s lives,” she says.
“In that moment I knew that this is what I wanted to do.”
And so, five years later, Helena is graduating with a Bachelor of Laws with first-class honours, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History. The history major was a last-minute addition that ended up being a highlight of her time at Te Herenga Waka.
“You have to make anything that you’re studying engaging by trying to find the interesting parts,” she says. “Often, I would use historical aspects in other papers—that was my interest point that I'd pull out.”
In late 2025, Helena flew to Ōtautahi for the Law and Society Association of Australia and New Zealand conference where she presented her dissertation: The Rule of Kings and the Woman Question: A Feminist Interrogation of Parliamentary Sovereignty.
Her dissertation examines parliamentary sovereignty from a feminist lens and was an exciting opportunity for her to blend her passions for public law and history.
“I think it was a real opportunity to dig into research and writing... It was such an exciting project, and I learned a huge amount throughout the year.”
It’s no surprise that Helena’s list of academic achievements is long, but she is driven less by accolades than by a desire to make a difference in the lives of others.
“In this industry you can have a real tangible impact on people’s lives,” she says.
“The achievements that people will recognise you for aren’t necessarily as important as the way that you conduct yourself in relation to others. The way that you treat people is often the biggest thing that you do for them, especially when you're working with people who are dealing with a lot of serious issues.”
That ambition was clear throughout her degree, where she supported her peers through the highs and lows of their academic journeys as 2025 president of the Victoria University of Wellington Law Students' Society.
“It was a real privilege, sitting between students, faculty, and the University and trying to navigate this space where you are serving the student community to the best of your abilities.”
For Helena, the role was about uplifting those around her and supporting the other representative group executives and individuals in the team to do the incredible things they do.
“It can be a huge commitment and the mahi is just so important.”
The desire to look out for others has continued in her professional life, with Helena now serving students and young professionals as a member of the New Zealand Law Students’ Association.
“I feel very honoured to be there, but also conscious of the number of voices that we are trying to represent in that space.
“The goal is to get to the end of the three-year term and be able to reflect and feel like we have been able to convey what is important to students and young professionals.”
Helena also now works over the lawn from the Victoria University Law School as a judges’ clerk at the Wellington High Court | Te Kōti Matua. Reflecting on her time at Te Herenga Waka, she says she found value once she found her community.
“I just hope that everyone who wants to achieve something can achieve that thing. Whether it's getting a degree, finding like-minded people, connecting with academics, finding good friends. I think everyone should have an opportunity to be able to do that.
“It’s the people that make your experience wherever you go, whether that's at work or university, and so I think just finding your people is so valuable regardless of what you're doing or where you are.”
As this year’s graduate speaker, Helena hopes that when she takes the stage in May, she can convey the experiences of everyone who will be walking across it.
“I hope that I can represent the pride and achievement of the graduating cohort.”