International Stories

Discover what it’s really like to study at the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) through the experiences of our international students and graduates.

From arriving in a new country to building careers and lifelong connections, these stories highlight the journeys, challenges, and successes of students who have chosen to study with us in Southland and Queenstown.

Every student's journey is different. Here are just a few of the stories from international students currently studying at SIT.

Student Stories

These stories reflect the real experiences of international students as they adapt to life in New Zealand, explore new opportunities, and work towards their academic goals.


Farha Khan – Master of Applied Health Science

Farha Khan already had an established career in the health sector before she chose to come to New Zealand and further her studies.

Will Li - Master of Information Technology
Will Li had worked in IT for many years before discovering Southern Institute of Technology (SIT), where he was considering pursuing the Master of Information Technology (IT), but when he found...
Johanna Lehmann – Study Abroad student
Johanna Lehman from Germany says it was one of her biggest wishes to do a semester abroad. “SIT seemed cool because it’s on the other side of the world,” she says. Coming from...
Renatha Soh Pande - Pre-Entry Applied Health Science
When Renatha Soh Pande (Natha for short) was 10 years old, she dreamt of studying abroad, but didn’t know which country it would be. Natha is from Papua New Guinea, which she calls...
Marcos Martinez – Bachelor of Information Technology
When Marcos Martinez discovered he could to come to New Zealand to complete his studies, he seized the opportunity, settling into life in Invercargill, half a world away from his home country of...
Scholarship recipient aims to advance sustainable home design
SIT2LRN Distance Learning student, Carla Garcia, is delighted to be a Prime Minister’s Scholarship recipient. When she heard she had the scholarship in late 2023, Carla says “I cried,...
Sera-Therise - Bachelor of Information Technology

Exchange student Sera-Therise from Germany has chosen to include a year’s study overseas in New Zealand to complete papers towards a Bachelor of IT, at SIT Invercargill.

Renz Condino
From new New Zealander in 2015, to being offered a dream opportunity at an award-winning winery restaurant in 2021, Renz Reneil Condino has set his feet firmly on the path to success through hard...

For many students, their journey at SIT leads to meaningful career pathways and long-term opportunities in New Zealand and beyond. Our graduates share how their experience has helped shape their future.

Graduate Stories

Hear from SIT graduates who have successfully completed their studies and taken the next step in their careers. These stories highlight the outcomes, skills, and opportunities gained through studying at SIT.


Skill learning and camaraderie promoted at Wāhine in Trades Night

Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) hosted a Wāhine in Trades carpentry event over two nights last week to encourage cross-trades skills and friendships

Brothers-in-law graduate with Construction degrees for the Quantity Surveying sector
Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) graduands, Dimas Listantyo and Teto Prakarsa, will graduate this Friday with a Bachelor of Construction (Quantity Surveying strand) with one of them already...
SIT Hosts Top Carpentry Apprentice Challenge
Southland’s top carpentry apprentice was decided recently at SIT when local carpentry apprentices pitted themselves against each other and the clock at the regional heat of the annual New...
Andreas Takayama
Andreas Takayama loves the Queenstown life so much, that when he moved there in 2017 to take a summer job, he says “I pretty much never left... it’s a lifestyle choice –...
Mikayla Swanson

SIT graduate, Mikayla Swanson, is a motivated achiever whose positive, can-do attitude to life has helped her overcome obstacles with dyslexia in gaining an education. 

Māori and Pasifika Construction Students Building Education Centre for Waituna Lagoon
A new construction trades training scholarship for Māori and Pasifika students from SIT – Business Division of Te Pūkenga, will see them help to build the new Awarua Rūnaka Waituna Lagoon...
Alice Liang

Alice Liang hails from China and was already in the construction industry there, working as a Cost Supervisor prior to her move to New Zealand for further study.  

Heidi Qu
Heidi Qu made the decision to study at Southern Institute of Technology because she wanted to start something new. “I wanted to learn a skill that would lead to a career lasting a...

Your New Zealand Story Starts Here.

Wherever you're from, whatever you want to study. SIT gives you an affordable, supported, world-class education in one of the most extraordinary places on earth.

Apply Now
Programme Guides:

Southern Institute of Technology • New Zealand