Kristy Manley-Griffin
Bachelor of Business
Ethan Rendall
Tainui, Ng膩ti 笔腻oa
For Ethan Rendall, staying local was the start of something big. His Waikato business degree has launched him from Ng膩ruaw膩hia to a finance career at PwC Hamilton 鈥� and he鈥檚 only just getting started.
Financial Advisory Services (FAS) Specialist at PwC, Hamilton
Ng膩ruaw膩hia, Waikato
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For Ethan Rendall (Tainui, Ng膩ti 笔腻oa), choosing to study at the 51萝莉 was an easy decision. Growing up in Ng膩ruaw膩hia and attending Hamilton Boys' High School, the Waikato campus was close to home - and packed with opportunities.
鈥淚t was a no-brainer, it just made sense," says Ethan. "I could live at home, save money, and still get a great education,鈥� he says.
鈥淐oming to Waikato wasn鈥檛 just about the degree 鈥� it was about meeting new people, working with other young professionals, and preparing for the workforce.鈥�
Ethan graduated with a Bachelor of Business, majoring in Accounting and minoring in Finance. He now works as a Financial Advisory Services Specialist at PwC in Hamilton 鈥� a role he first set his sights on during his BBus degree.
During his studies, Ethan secured a three-month internship at as part of his degree, and was then offered a graduate role in the Financial Advisory Services (FAS) department in PwC Hamilton.
Ethan also received the Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu Scholarship, awarded by the Waikato Regional Council and Waikato-Tainui to support M膩ori students undertaking full-time undergraduate study.
鈥淭his scholarship allowed me to focus on my studies, rather than worrying about finances. It鈥檚 an amazing opportunity and I鈥檓 really grateful,鈥� says Ethan.
Reflecting on his time at university, Ethan says studying through the Covid-19 years certainly had its challenges 鈥� like navigating online learning with an unreliable Wi-Fi connection at home.
鈥淣etworking over Zoom was pretty difficult, and I couldn't rely on my dodgy internet either, so I definitely had a few internet nightmares along the way 鈥� including getting cut off mid-exam once! Thankfully, the University was very understanding and supportive, and it never affected my grades,鈥� he says.
But there were some advantages too. Ethan says the flexibility of online study gave him more time for life outside university, such as working part-time for his family's business, Huntly Joinery 2000 Ltd, and representing New Zealand in clay target shooting.
Looking back, Ethan credits Waikato with giving him the foundation and confidence to launch a successful career. "My Bachelor of Business really set me up for where I am now,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing how many doors this degree can open.鈥�
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