Tauranga Students First To Graduate From Bachelor Of Community Health

Toi Ohomai’s 2018 graduation will see the first class of graduates from its Bachelor of Community Health Course, which was launched in 2015.  

The degree students will be graduating from ASB Arena on 11 December. One of the graduates, Waltraut Spiedel, is a 64-year old student from Germany and says that it has always been her passion to make a difference in communities, work with people and help them. 

“I enjoyed the course as it covers a broad field in the health sector and builds a great foundation wherever a holistic health approach is required. The course offered opportunities to study different subjects and I really valued the support I received from the tutors,” said Waltraut.

The Bachelor of Community Health course was introduced due to the increasing demand for educators, researchers and professionals working with whanau, organisations and communities to improve their health and wellbeing. 

According to graduate Charlotte Kelp, the degree has set her up to make a real difference in people’s lives and she looks forward to applying her new skills 

"I found the course to be relevant and diverse to meet the needs of a changing health system. I especially liked that the course allowed me to study areas that interested me. All the tutors were fantastic and supportive throughout and always able to provide extra guidance when required.”

Rachael Gardiner, Group Leader of Health and Humanities, says she is very proud to see the first Bachelor of Community Health class graduate. 

“They have worked extremely hard and it has been so pleasing to see them complete the degree and receiving such positive feedback from industry. I wish them all the best for their future endeavours,” said Rachael. 

Students who complete the degree are able to start their careers with a strong knowledge base ranging from health basics, including anatomy and physiology, through to applied research and professional practice.