Gabriella Andrews

Gabriella Andrews completed a Bachelor of Pacific Studies at the Australian National University (ANU). "Having a strong interest in Australia’s relationships with nations in the Indo-Pacific region throughout high school, I looked no further than a combined degree in International Security Studies and Pacific Studies', she says.

She believes that Pacific Studies provided her with a variety of opportunities that she would otherwise not have access to. "As a part of my degree, I was able to study in Hawai with the Pacific Islands Field School. I enjoyed collaborating with students and world-class professors from the Center for Pacific Islands Studies at the University of Hawaii, the East-West Center and more. I additionally took part in workshops on canoe making, wood-carving, weaving, visual arts, hula, and Micronesian navigation. I'm proud to have engaged with Hawaii beyond the ‘postcard picture’ that it is often portrayed as". 

In her last semester, it was clear for Gabriella that Pacific Studies has played a significant role both in her academic and personal career.

As a non-Indigenous person studying the Pacific, this degree challenged my perspectives on past and current events and forced me to confront tough questions on the politics of knowledge. The interdisciplinary approach to seeing the Pacific ensures the region is viewed in its entirety – whether you are researching issues such as colonialism, World War II, gender, development or current global politics.

Pacific Studies allowed Gabriella to diversify her experiences at ANU, and to learn more about the region to which Australia is so connected. "The degree also helped me confirm a career where I combine my interests in global politics and security," she concludes.