New Director of International and Exchange Students, Pale Tauti chats with Saki Shinozaki (Japan) Year 9, Tim Briel (Germany) Year 11, Friederike Moerke (Germany) Year 12, Miyu Yamamoto (Japan) Year 12, Charlotte Schube (Germany) Year 12.
Strengthening
global connections
St Andrew’s Director of International and Exchange Students, Pale Tauti, has a unique understanding of living in a different culture. Before taking up the newly created position this year, Otago-born Pale spent 10 years living in Hong Kong, where he enjoyed a varied career as a semi-professional rugby player, English as a Second Language teacher, high performance rugby coach (a role that took him to countries as diverse as India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Singapore and Thailand), and working with a community outreach programme promoting rugby in Asia. “These roles provided me with a great insight into different cultures, and an understanding of the struggles and challenges young people face when leaving their homes and families to study in a different country,” he says. Pale is excited about his new position at St Andrew’s, which includes enrolling, providing orientation, and ongoing support and pastoral care to the College’s vibrant, close-knit community of international students. The programme currently encompasses 24 students from Germany, Fiji, Taiwan, China, Japan, Thailand, Singapore and the United States of America. Head of Values and Culture, Hamish Bell, says growing the international programme to accommodate up to 40
students is another exciting aspect of Pale’s role. “We are keen to expand and develop the international programme, and Pale is responsible for setting out a strategy for how this might look like in the future.” Hamish says Pale is a great addition to the Values and Culture team. “He is good guy who gets on very well with people and has great international experience.” Pale says language and culture shock can be two of the biggest challenges facing international students. “Some arrive with good conversational English, but need help with literacy to enable them to achieve their academic goals. The College’s English as a Second Language teacher Stephanie Brooks does great work with the students.” He says the international programme is well supported by local St Andrew’s families, many who are happy to host overseas students during holiday weekends or for longer periods. “It’s fantastic to get that support, with many local families enjoying the experience and the opportunity to practise speaking the students’ language.” The richness, diversity and colour added by international students to the St Andrew’s campus is also highly beneficial to local students, he says. “Exposing our students to the experiences, expectations and lifestyle of international students opens their
minds to internationalism and the fact we live in a small world with plenty of opportunity.” Events, including international assemblies, concerts or food fairs are held to showcase the enhanced diversity at the College, and the benefits of creating local and global partnerships. An International Club, run by Year 13 students and open to all, also provides students from overseas with strong support, a local perspective and helps them to make new friends outside the international community. The Student Exchange Programme also falls under Pale’s umbrella, which gives St Andrew’s students in Year 10 through to Year 12 the opportunity to live and study in a range of exchange partner countries, such as Australia, South Africa, Canada, England and Scotland. “I am keen to grow the Exchange Programme and open new opportunities for St Andrew’s students, particularly in Asia,“ says Pale. After a decade in Hong Kong, Pale says he, his wife and young family have found it ‘refreshing’ to come back to New Zealand. “It’s great to be back. I’m enjoying the new role and the fantastic support I get from staff and students here. The world is changing and it is great to see St Andrew’s changing with it and embracing its growing multicultural identity.”
