Graduate Laura Waretini (centre) is pictured at Te Wharekai o kā Kaimahi - Staff Club with Classics Associate Professor Gwynaeth McIntyre (on her left) and English and Linguistics Associate Professor Grace Moore. Laura says they’ve both been inspiring and supportive teachers during her time at Otago.
Laura Waretini (Ngāti Maniapoto) graduates this Saturday 23 August with a Bachelor of Arts, with a double major in English and Classics.
She won the Atticus Prize for Classics in 2024 as the top third-year student and is described as an “immensely talented scholar” by her Honours supervisor.
Laura’s personal growth during her time at university is as impressive as her academic achievements. She says key to her success was finding self-respect and pride in what she is doing.
Diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and autism, Laura says she struggled with the school system.
It was the opportunity to focus on the literary subjects she was passionate about, and not the compulsory subjects she didn’t enjoy at secondary school, that convinced her to enrol at university.
Laura spent her first year in a Hall of Residence. She enjoyed making friendships and finding a community. This was also the time of Covid, which meant students were confined to their Halls during lockdowns- and isolated to their rooms if they tested positive for Covid.
However, it wasn’t the restrictions but the periods following that proved challenging for Laura.
“Being in an isolated space gave me a reason to shut myself in. It wasn’t this isolation that was the challenge, it was coming out. When I could go to lectures and tutorials and get involved on campus, I didn’t put myself out there. It really impacted my studies,” Laura says.
In her second year a chronic illness meant she had to study by distance back home in Auckland. Laura persevered and took her exams and with special consideration, managed to pass.
It was in her third year that Laura really experienced a shift in mentality. A good flat and feeling more comfortable on campus provided a good base.
“After taking some cool papers that I really enjoyed I realised ‘I love this, and not doing my best is a waste of my time and my professors’ time. If I’m not here to do the best that I can, then what’s the point?’”
“It was about self-respect and being proud of what I am doing.”
Associate Professor Gwynaeth McIntyre from the Classics programme had a large role in Laura’s journey.
“Gwynaeth is a fantastic teacher, and she also helped me come out of my shell. She has been amazing with building my confidence,” Laura says.
This year Laura is studying Honours in English, with some papers in Classics. She is still in the early stages of setting her dissertation, that she says is being inspired by her Māori heritage.
“I am wanting to investigate the role that literature plays in upholding post-colonial legacies. I’m really interested in systems and institutions within society that continue to oppress Indigenous people, and the role literature has played in that over time. I’m also considering the dissemination of imperial ideologies throughout history, using literature.”
Associate Professor Grace Moore with the English and Linguistics programme is one of Laura’s supervisors this year. Laura says she is inspired by Grace’s genuine care for her students, as well as her intellect; she taught Laura’s favourite paper in her undergraduate degree, ‘Literary Theory: from Marxism to Ecocriticism’.
“Laura is an immensely talented scholar, who is driven by deep curiosity and the desire to make a difference in the world. She is an original thinker, who looks for ways to combine her love of literature with her drive to bring about change,” says Grace.
Laura’s the first in her immediate family to go to university and the first of her three siblings to leave home.
Laura’s mother and grandmother are big supporters. Her mother has been alongside her through this journey and will be celebrating with her at graduation on Saturday.
Nā Antonia Wallace, Communications Advisor - Kaiarataki Pārokoroko