“Rather than following a plan, I’ve always just followed my nose and had a belief in knowing what’s right for me. And while I’m still young and don’t have commitments, this opportunity seemed too exciting to ignore.” Alex hasn’t wasted time while he has been amassing practical journalism experience in New Zealand. He studied for Te Reo Ma ¯ ori qualifications in Auckland and earlier this year spent three months on the Robert Bell Travelling Scholarship in Journalism, looking at the way mainstream media report indigenous issues in Hawai’i, Canada, Australia and Norway.
He hopes that at some stage these experiences might lead to opportunities for freelance documentary making, or help land him a role at the BBC. Alex enjoyed College and, while he remembers being “short, chubby, and never sporty,” says things change. “Now I’m into tramping and martial arts.” “If there’s anything I’d say to guys leaving now, it’s that you have to be flexible and willing to change and adapt. I’ve learnt you have to be open to opportunities and, at the right time, take them, step outside your comfort zone. You need to follow what feels right for you, not what other people are prescribing for your pathway. I think I’ve been lucky because my parents always wanted me to be happy and supported me to be so.”
“While I’mstill young and don’t have commitments, this opportunity seemed too exciting to ignore.” Alex Baird
College Issue 37 2019
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