Sunah Yun
Every time Sunah Yun walked past the laboratory at ANZCO Foods where she worked as a quality control officer, she daydreamed about being in there, dressed in a white lab coat.
Fortunately for Sunah, the company offered her a night shift job in the lab, turning her daydream into a reality. “That motivated me to get a qualification in laboratory technology, in order to acquire better opportunities to work in the laboratory during the day.”
Sunah already had a degree in computer engineering which allowed her to study at postgraduate level. She chose the Graduate Diploma in Laboratory Technology at Ara because, she says, “it’s the best tertiary education provider in New Zealand”.
She says the programme had a “high but balanced standard” and adds that her tutors were always approachable. “If I was stuck on something, my tutors would always try to find a way to help me understand.” She enjoyed studying with her fellow students and credits them with “sharing their knowledge openly and helping me understand what I needed to learn”.
As part of her programme, Sunah undertook a work placement which she says gave her the confidence and knowledge of what’s required in the science industry.
She’s putting all the skills and knowledge she gained through her graduate diploma to use in her job at ANZCO where she’s a healthcare bio-tissues laboratory technician/technologist. The role involves hands-on manufacturing of biologically-based products used in implanted medical devices.
Her plan for the future is to get more experience in the science industry and to give to others the confidence that Ara gave her.