AUT’s support for seventh Y25 List
Five talented AUT students and graduates have been selected for this year’s Y25 List which recognises 25 trailblazers and changemakers from across Aotearoa for their outstanding vision, leadership and contributions in their respective fields.
After a nationwide campaign seeking applications, the five successful AUT students and graduates on the seventh Y25 List include Alesha O’Connor, Jordan Tane (Ngāpuhi), Maia Lusia Anitele, Mariner Fagaiava and Natalie Pere (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa).
Each year, the Y25 provides a six-month leadership programme offering mentoring, professional development and wellbeing support. They also become part of a growing alumni network, creating lifelong connections with young changemakers throughout Aotearoa.
AUT Chief Marketing Officer, Jayne Mayerhofler says, “As the most diverse and inclusive university in New Zealand, AUT is very proud to support this incredible kaupapa with representatives from the indigenous, rainbow, neurodiverse communities and those who live with a disability.
“Year on year, the nationwide list has featured AUT students, graduates and alumni who are making an outstanding impact, whether those are far-reaching or community-focused.”
“At a time when many young people are navigating uncertainty, these changemakers remind us what hope looks like,” says YWCA Tāmaki Makaurau chief executive Teresa Tepania-Ashton.
“Y25 exists because we believe in the power, brilliance and leadership of young wāhine and gender-diverse rangatahi to shape a more equitable future. This kaupapa is not simply about individual success, it is about nurturing collective transformation.”
Seven wāhine Māori and nine Pasifika young women and gender-diverse changemakers have been selected for this year’s Y25.
Commenting on being chosen for this year’s list, AUT PhD student, Jordan Tane, says, “Being selected for Y25 means so much to me, but honestly, what excites me most is not the recognition alone, it is the possibility of connection. Having just turned 25 and being at the beginning of my PhD, I’m entering spaces I once never imagined myself in, and I’m still learning to trust that I belong there. It can be exciting but also lonely, particularly when the kaupapa you carry is so deeply personal. To be welcomed into a rōpū of young wāhine and tāhine who are each creating change through their own lived experiences feels incredibly special. It is an honour to stand alongside them.”
This year’s cohort was selected from more than 165 nominations and includes advocates, artists, entrepreneurs, scientists, storytellers, medical professionals, environmentalists and community organisers, with mahi spanning climate action, LGBTQIA+ advocacy, kaupapa Māori design, STEM, rural leadership and sport science.
Learn about the journeys of AUT’s 2026 Y25ers.
Alesha O'Connor - Wearable Art Designer Transforming Healing.
Alesha has a double degree in Spatial Design and Business.