Jasmine Fuemana

Playermaker Lead/Remote Analyst, Oceania Football Confederation
Premier Girls Water Polo Coach, Saint Kentigern College
Bachelor of Sport and Recreation
Certificate in Sport and Recreation

For Jasmine Fuemana, being able to work with professional sports teams while she was still a student was a highlight of her time at AUT.

“Doing my workplace experience with Hockey New Zealand was definitely a highlight. Working with a national team like the Blacksticks is something I never thought I’d do only a year and a half into my degree. Through this experience, I got to travel as a sports analyst to Santiago, Chile, to the Junior World Cup with the U21 Women and to Canberra, Australia, to the Indoor World Cup Qualifiers with the Indoor Men’s and Women’s New Zealand teams. I learn best by being hands-on, so being able to actually be at tournaments, make mistakes and learn from them was irreplaceable.”

But this wasn’t her only opportunity to showcase her skills and work with some of the best in their sport.

“In 2025, I was offered the chance to help at the Oceania Football U15 Men’s Championships where I supported physical and technical data collection. This led to an offer to remotely analyse three more international tournaments for the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). I was so excited to be asked by Owain Prosser – the head of high performance and education at OFC – to attend the FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifiers in Fiji as a Playermaker lead and, while I couldn’t attend that round, I was even more honoured to be asked again by my lecturer, Professor Kirsten Spencer, to be the remote analyst for round two in the Solomon Islands.”

A passion for sport
Jasmine, who graduated from AUT in mid-2025, says she has always been heavily involved in sports.

“One of the parts I’ve always loved most is being able to help people be the best version they can be, both in and out of the sports world. While I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do, I knew I enjoyed the sports industry and wanted to help other people enjoy it too. AUT had the best selection of sports-related courses and I really liked how the workplace experience would get us actually involved in the industry, not just observe.”

She started her studies with the Certificate in Sport and Recreation as she wasn’t sure if she wanted to commit to three years of studying sport. She needn’t have worried, and her certificate was soon followed by the Bachelor of Sport and Recreation.

“I loved it. My classmates and lecturers were great and the content was interesting. I quickly got comfortable in the university setting, and it reinforced that I like studying. It was a fantastic way to get a taste of uni. The first-year journey was great – it felt like a school camp with a bunch of people who became good friends. Learning through experience, with people who are in the same boat, makes hard things enjoyable. While I was at AUT I loved meeting so many awesome people and being able to celebrate and support each other. I enjoyed having the independence to make my own decisions, figuring out what does or doesn’t work for me, and having a safe and welcoming space to study, hang out and just be.”

Supported to thrive
There were a few AUT staff members who had a particularly strong impact on her time at AUT, and she says she’ll always be grateful for their input.

“Professor Kirsten Spencer was my academic supervisor in my third year. She believed in me, pushed me to apply for the Hockey New Zealand internship and offered me the opportunity to work with Oceania Football. She was always willing to have a conversation about assignments and other things. It’s so clear that she wants her students to succeed and you can see how much she loves sports science.

“Another person who stood out to me was Associate Professor Richard Wright. In a first-year course I was struggling in a group project where my group wasn’t doing anything to help me. He recognised that, encouraged me to keep going with the project, and helped me work through ways to get my group involved. He gave me lots of options but didn’t let me stop. At the end of the course, he took a moment to specifically acknowledge the effort I had put in. That meant a lot to me.”

She has some great advice for other students who are only at the start of their own university journey.

“Make the absolute most of your time and the opportunities you have through AUT. Say yes to things, especially if you’re scared. Fake confidence will get you further than you’d believe. Push yourself and surround yourself with people who will push each other. Your classmates can be future connections, so be friendly with everyone. Reach out to people using the ‘student’ label – they’re far more likely to respond and give you time. Know when your deadlines are and use your lecturers! They want to see you succeed, so if you’re struggling let them know.”