Ella Gordon-Latty
BA Honours, 1st Class - Politics & Geography combined
Ella Gordon-Latty chose the University of Otago because her father had studied there. He told her “Otago's a place where you learn to stand on your own two feet and define who you want to be.” Ella's experiences confirmed this. “Going to Otago was potentially one of the single most formative experiences of my life.”
“Otago teaches you to be self-sufficient and self-motivating. Also, I met the most incredible people there, and now have a world-class network to tap into. They are people who were my contemporaries, as well as those who were senior to me who have a shared history. When you say you studied at Otago, that holds a lot of credibility.
“Studying Politics gave me one of the most powerful insights – it enabled me to understand the mechanics of power. It gave me a framework for understanding world events and analysing context, which are absolutely vital for the business world.
“Studying Politics and Geography gave me an understanding of power interactions around nations' resources. It was a great combination. Understanding the context of the world and the forces at play gave me the ability to follow my own trajectory. To go where I want and get involved in a wide range of things.”
Since graduating from Otago Ella has travelled and worked in Colombia. She has been a policy writer and an independent consultant with a range of businesses in Auckland.
These experiences have been ideal preparation for her current role. Ella is now in the process of starting up her own business. “Wave Makers is a platform for sharing stories of exceptional young New Zealanders, and for building a directory of mentors. We want to show young people that anything is possible, and to provide them with encouragement and advice to enable them to activate their ideas.”