Holly Anderson

• First Aid Course - Life Care Consultants 2024
• Barista Course - 2024
• Babysitting Certificate - Plunket 2022
• Restricted drivers license

• Diligence in Earth and Space Science 2024
• Diligence in English 2024

• Wakeboarding, waterskiing, hiking, photography, gym, drumming, music appreciation

• Volunteer Special Childrens Christmas Party - December 2022. Helped in the Zuru Toy Cave distributing gifts to children and their families.

Kia ora, my name is Holly Anderson, and I am very excited to be applying to Massey University for the Bachelor of Nursing Degree in 2026. 

Nursing plays a critical role in our society, and I would love to have the opportunity to help or change people's lives. I enjoy meeting new people and being part of a team, and I see nursing as an opportunity to do that. I feel as though nursing would give me a strong variety of areas to work in, communities to meet, and an opportunity to travel and do my work in different regions. While I’m not afraid of doing paperwork, I want to work in a very active, hands-on environment.      

I value a very healthy lifestyle. My personal health is a reflection of the importance I place on health in our community. I do not partake in unhealthy lifestyle choices such as vaping, smoking, and so on. I also attempt to work out as often as possible at the gym, and I enjoy the outdoors a lot and spend plenty of time with my family hiking and being active in hobbies such as water skiing and wakeboarding. I care about people and consider myself perceptive as to how people are feeling and their needs. It is partly why I’ve enjoyed being a babysitter for many years and more recently have enjoyed working in the hospitality industry. 

I have been very fortunate to have traveled a lot, allowing me to gain a better understanding of different cultures as well as impoverished communities. This has allowed me to become more empathetic towards how various people live and the struggles they endure. Influencing me to become someone who could help those less fortunate than myself. It has made me realise how lucky we are to have a health system in New Zealand that is available to everyone, and I want to be a part of that.

Being a nurse is a critical role in everyday life, but for me it is also about being a contributor to society. Giving back to the community has always been an important value within my family, and in 2022, I participated in the Zuru Special Children's Christmas Party as a volunteer. My role was to hand out presents to families with disabled children and families who are financially unable to provide their children with Christmas presents. Being a part of that felt great, as it made me feel happy knowing that despite these families' struggles, I and others that day were able to provide those kids with the Christmas they deserved. 

It is important when working in the health system to be able to connect with a wide range of people from different backgrounds and cultures. I have had a diverse upbringing, being active in sports through primary and intermediate school, being passionate about music, having been a drummer for nearly 10 years, having been part of a band in the NZ Rockquest competition, and understanding through my father and his family my Maori whakapapa and our connection to the land. These experiences have allowed me to meet, understand, and connect with a diverse group of people with different interests and from different cultures and backgrounds. I have also been learning about my family's strong history in health and specifically nursing, with several members of my extended family having worked in a variety of roles in the health system, including nursing, anesthesia, and laboratory work. I would love to be able to continue a strong family tradition of being part of our health service.

I understand there will be teaching and practical clinical aspects to this nursing course, which excites me. With 1,100 hours of clinical experience within the course, there will be plenty of exciting placements throughout the region, and I’m very comfortable traveling away from Wellington to complete these placements I have a strong interest in mental health and pediatrics and have noticed that these are key areas of focus within the degree. 

My whanau are extremely supportive of my decision to apply for the Bachelor of Nursing Degree. Both of my parents are University qualified and have instilled in me the importance of tertiary education and have been preparing me for the change in learning structure (from secondary education). Being new to Wellington I am applying to stay in the halls of residence at the university, as I want to meet new people from throughout the country and enjoy the full university experience. 

I know I can excel in a fast-paced learning environment that will require a lot of balancing between learning, studying, the social aspects of university, and working. I have been balancing my secondary education with working outside of school very well. 

Finally, I’ve never been a top academic student, but I have always wanted to succeed academically, so I have had to work hard to get to where I am now. I study hard, and I put maximum effort in every time. My grades in my final year (see supplementary attachments) have on average been of an excellence standard as I have been focused on putting myself in the best position possible when making this application. I have chosen to take health science and continue chemistry in order to focus on courses that I think will help prepare me for the Bachelor of Nursing degree. I am passionate about nursing, and I would be proud to study at Massey University Wellington Campus. 

Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to hearing from you.

Holly Anderson