A University of Auckland graduate of Samoan descent says her culture, family and community have shaped how she wants to serve others in her career.

University of Auckland graduate Serina McCarthy recently completed a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Commerce in Economics.

The 22-year-old crossed the stage at Spark Arena on 4 May as family and friends celebrated her achievement.

Born in Seoul and raised mostly in New Zealand, McCarthy is of Samoan and Korean heritage. Her father, James McCarthy, has family connections in Sala’ilua in Savai‘i, Leone in Tutuila and Malaemalu in Upolu, while her mother, Joo Eun Cha, is from Seoul.

McCarthy said growing up in different cultures taught her empathy, respect and responsibility.

“Having a mixed cultural background has always been a strength,” she said.

“It’s taught me how to navigate different worlds with empathy and respect, and how to actively listen before acting.”

She began university at 17 after leaving high school in Year 12 and completed her conjoint degree in five years.

Days after graduating, McCarthy was accepted into Beta Gamma Sigma, an international honours society recognising top business students worldwide.

During her studies, she worked to support Māori and Pacific students through tutoring and mentoring programmes. She also served as Treasurer of Commerce o’ Pasifika and worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant through the Moana Oceania programme.

McCarthy said leadership means serving others and helping create opportunities for future students.

“Leadership, to me, is service, showing up consistently, creating space for others, and helping build pathways that didn’t always exist,” she said.

Her honours dissertation focused on Pacific regional economic governance and economic self-determination.

McCarthy thanked her parents, sister and wider family for supporting her studies.

She also acknowledged her older sister, Cinjah McCarthy, who is studying medicine, and her older cousins working in law, who inspired her career path.

McCarthy will soon begin work as an Associate Consultant with Boston Consulting Group in Auckland. She also plans to be admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand.

“I want to build a career that brings together rigorous training, cultural understanding, and a real commitment to the communities I come from and serve,” she said.