Since 2019, Buddle Findlay has welcomed students from the Halberg Youth Council for work experience via the Buddle Findlay & Halberg Career Experience programme. This is a programme we co-developed with the Halberg Foundation to give members of the Council, all young leaders with physical disabilities, the opportunity to build practical skills and confidence in a professional setting.
Liv Fountain joined our Wellington team for a week in September. We caught up with her during her placement to learn more about her ambitions and what she took away from the experience.
Q: Could you start by telling us a bit about yourself – what you’re studying and what interests you most at the moment?
I’m 19 years old, and I’ve been on the Halberg Youth Council for about three years. I’m originally from Hawke’s Bay, but I’m now in my second year at the University of Waikato, studying a Bachelor of Social Sciences, majoring in social policy and psychology.
At the moment, I’m most interested in pursuing something related to disability advocacy. I’m not sure yet if that will mean becoming a policy advisor, a policy analyst, or something else, but if I can work in disability advocacy that would be ideal. Through my time with Buddle Findlay I’ve also learned more about people and culture, which is another area that might tie in with my studies. I’m really open to a variety of pathways.
Q: Looking ahead, what are your long-term career goals or areas you’d like to explore?
One of my goals is to be in a relatively senior role, because there isn’t much visible representation of disabilities at higher levels of management. If I can be in a position that allows me to have that influence, it would mean I could not only improve my own life as a disabled person, but also improve opportunities for others.
Q: Outside of study or work, what do you enjoy doing – what helps keep you balanced?
I enjoy going to the gym and swimming, and I’m quite focused on health and fitness. In my spare time, I love baking – one of my specialties is cinnamon rolls, which people often ask me to make. Baking helps me unwind and gives me something to focus on outside of study.
Q: Are there particular skills you’d like to develop further, or areas where you’d welcome more experience?
I’d like to gain more experience in leadership roles. I think I strike a good balance now between stepping up and creating space for others, but I’d like to learn more about how to use my skills to influence others positively. In particular, I want to make disability voices more prominent in everyday life and encourage others to share their experiences – even if that sometimes means disrupting the peace, which is often needed.
Q: What drew you to the Halberg Youth Council and why is being part of it important to you?
I’ve been involved with Halberg since I was five years old, and I’ve attended 10 Halberg Games. So, joining the Youth Council felt like the natural next step. I also know how important sport and recreation are for mental health and wellbeing. I love sport and recreation, and I want to help create pathways for other disabled young people to enjoy the same opportunities I’ve had.
Q: What do you hope to contribute through your role on the Council?
I want to be a voice for other young people, and to keep sharing my experiences. For example, through regional engagement I’ve spoken to teachers and school leaders who afterwards say they hadn’t considered how adaptable sport could be. So it’s about being both a personal example and also representing others – not just people with cerebral palsy like me, but also those who are blind or use wheelchairs.
Q: Thinking about opportunities like this placement, what were you most looking forward to – and what do you think might be most challenging?
I was looking forward to learning how I could use my policy degree in a law firm setting, since I don’t study law and don’t plan to. I wanted to see what opportunities exist beyond just being a lawyer. This week I’ve really enjoyed working with the people and culture team on more policy-driven tasks. I even helped plan Mental Health Awareness Week, which was a highlight.
As for challenges, I didn’t come in with set expectations. I was open to learning and to seeing where things went. If I did come across challenges, I felt confident about breaking down barriers.
Q: Have you learned anything about the law or career paths in a law firm that you didn’t know before?
Yes – I’ve learned that a law firm is much more than just lawyers in a courtroom; there are so many different roles that contribute to how a firm runs. It was an amazing experience, and I learned so much that I’ll be able to take into any future opportunity.