Student Profiles

Moving house from Chile to the other side of the world has been an exciting and inspiring challenge for Alvaro Ramirez. After setting out in 2007 on a working holiday to New Zealand it did not take long for him to fall in love with the people, the natural surroundings and the lifestyle.

It was during a six month stint on a small island in South of Chile named Chiloe that Alvaro discovered that he enjoyed working with his hands. Industry on the island is based around fishing and forestry. It was forestry that captivated his heart.

Felling and processing native trees was truly a great experience. The sawmilling technology used on the island was humble to say the least. Bullocks were used to pull the log carriage, on top of which sat the saw which cut the trees. At other times the sawmill was completely hand driven. It was back breaking work but it provided a great sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.

From this point on studying Forestry became his number one ambition. New Zealand allowed him the opportunity to study.

Alvaro brings a clear mind and single focus for completing study at this time. His sole focus is on achieving and leaming as much information as he can from his tutors and fellow classmates. The diversity of the lessons and his classmates help to ensure that there is never a dull moment and always an interesting conversation to be had.

“If you want something you have to sacrifice and work hard. That is the only way”.

The kiwi way of life suits Alvaro perfectly. The mixture of history and tradition of the Maori people coupled with opportunities to engage in recreation and sport are all things he enjoys immensely. Having fellow South Americans also living in Rotorua has been a blessing and provides him with an opportunity to engage with his fellow country men and women.

Coming from a country where football (soccer) is the dominant sport, New Zealand was a very different proposition. In New Zealand where football is a minority sport Alvaro has been able to join with other South American people to celebrate the beautiful game.

In between semesters Interpine Forestry have enabled him to put his skills to the test through active work in plotting, scaling, data collection and recording inventory. At the completion of Alvaro’s studies his hope is to commence full time employment with Interpine Forestry. This will be both a career choice as well as a way to thank them for the assistance they have given him through out his studies including access to the forest for his research projects.

Having the chance to teach others and give back to the community are the ideals that encourage and enthuse Alvaro to continue and to do his best.

“I feel confident and welcome at Waiariki” he said. “As long as you are willing to learn then go for it. It is up to you”.