Josh Finegan

Through his extracurricular activities, Josh developed strong employability skills in teamwork and leadership, and learnt how to draw on his strengths.

BCom Economics and Public Policy
Wellington Plus Award

Portrait of Josh Finegan

Josh made the most of opportunities to contribute to his community during his studies, gaining fantastic leadership experience as result. For two years he volunteered on the Executive of Forest & Bird Youth, first as Funding Coordinator and then Project Coordinator. He helped to establish a strong club by securing funding and building key relationships. He then took on the role of Treasurer for the Victoria Development Society and put his previous experience to good use when managing the club’s finances.

Also on campus, Josh supported students’ academic success. Volunteering as a Note-taker for Disability Services enabled him to develop a system for note-taking that also benefited his own studies, and as a Student Mentor he honed his soft skills by working one-to-one with peers.

In the community, Josh stepped out of his comfort zone to volunteer with the Volunteer Wellington Student Vanguard. He worked with other students to engage with stakeholders and successfully helped develop the Corporate Challenge, an employee volunteering programme. He then drew on this experience to participate in a debate on Corporate Social Responsibility.

Josh was involved with several projects with the youth-powered movement JustSpeak. As Project Coordinator he hosted events for the public, which helped him develop skills in facilitation. He also volunteered for the youth development organisation BGI, learning how to use his strengths to overcome challenges.

Josh says his volunteer roles highlighted the importance of understanding his skill set and his strengths and weaknesses. He feels that Wellington Plus was invaluable in helping him understand this better and give purpose to his studies.

“The Programme has provided me with an invaluable opportunity to reflect and build upon my volunteer experiences. In particular, it has been a chance to relate my experiences back to my studies and wider career goals.”
Josh Finegan