Lino Quintans

Gaining practical knowledge in an area that he studied, greatly contributed towards Lino’s academic success and his overall student experience.

BSc Psychology
Wellington Plus Certificate and Award

Portrait of Lino Quintans

Lino started out on Wellington Plus in his first year by fundraising for Samaritans and the Child Cancer Foundation, and volunteering for Tournament of Minds and the University’s Open Day.


In his second year and third years, he stepped up to leadership roles in the community which complemented his studies and focussed on supporting others. He trained as a Youth Worker with Youthline Wellington, where he helped lead the youth development programme by planning and facilitating workshops. The highlight for Lino was the heart-warming relationships and trust he built with the young people in his group. This role led to volunteer work as a Mental Health Peer Support Leader for The Peer Tree where he learned a lot from the dedicated team of volunteers. Both these roles gave Lino newfound confidence, and essential skills in empathy and building rapport. As a result of forming genuine connections and actively listening to people who are navigating their wellbeing, Lino strengthened his desire to work in the field of mental health.


On campus, Lino supported his peers’ academic success by volunteering as a PASS Leader and Āwhina Mentor. He was also a UNI101 Student Ambassador and helped new students transition to University.


Lino says that finding the right balance between university, volunteering and personal life was at times challenging but is also why the Wellington Plus Programme was such a rewarding experience. He feels that the mental health wellbeing techniques he learned helped him to take better care of himself and effectively support his peers.

“The Wellington Plus Programme has been central to both my professional and personal growth, and the skills I gained are ones that I believe helped me thrive in university.”
Lino Quintans