Ayana Saizen, Graduate Diploma in Applied Science
It was a desire to shake up her career and utilize her knowledge of science that brought Ayana Saizen to New Zealand, but it was the quality of the courses that made her choose Lincoln University.
The Japanese student studied a Graduate Diploma in Applied Science as a way to shift her career to food sciences, a move which has already proven successful.
She was attracted to Christchurch because of it “its idyllic nature, classical architecture, and modern city vibe,” but was faced with a few different options for her educational pathway.
Lincoln University was the best place where I could tailor my courses for my dream career. It offers attractive food science courses and is the best option in Christchurch.
Ayana enjoyed New Zealand’s diversity, hiking trails, clean air, local cafes and work-life balance, but it was her studies that she enjoyed most about the experience, particularly the research projects.
“My course advisor kindly tailored my research projects, allowing me to gain experience in new product development.”
She also completed her goal of publishing a paper while at university.
“The small classes allow you to interact closely with lecturers and staff. You have a great chance of growth as they give you feedback on assignments.
“The lecturers were mindful of students taking courses online, and I could communicate closely with them.
“The recordings were also useful for reviewing and deeply understanding the lectures, even when I attended in person.”
Ayana now works as a quality assurance and control officer at Ecostore, a role which she got with the help of her education and networks gained at Lincoln.
“I was excited to have great opportunities to connect with people in the food industries and secure internships. That helped me a lot in finding career opportunities after graduation.
“The knowledge and experience in task management, logical thinking, and hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) have been very helpful.”
Ayana worked at the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology while studying at Lincoln, which provided useful experience while job-hunting after graduation.
“It was not easy to find the job, but the key was to make connections with people in the industry I wanted to join.”
It was her lecturers that directed her to the position and she was able to further develop those relationships at a student careers night at Lincoln.
As part of her course, Ayana studied a three-month English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course, which she said helped with the transition in her studies.
“The course was actually more practical than I expected. I learned how to write academic reports using citations, which helped me a lot during my studies.”