Ruiteng

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background

I am currently a 4th year university student studying law and commerce at Victoria University of Wellington. I came to New Zealand from China when I was 3 and grew up in the (pleasantly smelling) metropolis of Rotorua. I like to blitz through a good non-fiction read or dabble in some computer games on a Saturday evening.

What volunteer opportunities have you been involved in or are you currently involved in?

One thing I really care about is being a good mentor for both the Asian Law Students’ Association Mentoring Programme and the Kensington Swan Mentoring Programme. A good mentor has been integral to my own success at both university and in life, hence it is important to me that I keep that cycle going. Whether it be organising a coffee catch-up or being available for my mentees, mentoring is something I am passionate about.

Volunteering with Ignite Consultants last year enabled me to work with the team at Collaborate. Promoting Collaborate to the university community has been a really exciting part of a journey where I saw an idea become a reality and how dynamic the start-up environment can be.

Why do you volunteer?

The real question is why not? Volunteering when you have the time to do so is a way of showing how grateful you are for the education, experiences and material comforts one enjoys.

Who is your biggest hero or inspiration?

Biggest hero has to be my grandmother, who taught me the importance of love and compassion

What is your mantra or what is the most important value you live by?

One step at a time.

What do you love about Collaborate?

Three things:

1) the relative ease of finding volunteering opportunities

2) the passion its developers and creators have invested into it

3) the potential for building new connections