Mātauranga Māori and Māori indigenous studies have been a main focus alongside the science papers, she said.
Her upbringing was characterised by the outdoors.
“I grew up doing things daily outside and through high school I went to various environmental forums and political conferences that opened my eyes to the wider problems facing the environment and in particular in New Zealand,” she said.
Before going to university, Lucy went on the New Zealand United Nations Youth Global Development Tour.
She paid tribute to her brother Te Wai Coulston for helping her make connections and letting her know about various different forums or events.
“He inserted himself into that culture and it opened up more opportunities for me. He was instrumental in igniting that passion and creating a path for me tō follow.”
But it was a whole whānau effort.
Her mother is Linda Coulston, the regional manager for SuperGrans Tairāwhiti and her father is Daren Coulston, a self-employed consultant. They were always supportive of whatever the children wanted to do, Lucy says, and kept people at the heart of their decisions.
“My sister, Hana Coulston, has always been extremely supportive of what I want to do. I’ve been very lucky having the whole family behind me.
“I do come from a politically minded family. We are aware of our personal responsibility of manaakitanga and whakawhanaungatanga — helping people out wherever we can.
“I thought that a Bachelor of Science would equip me with the right tools to make change in today’s world.”
She wants to “environmentalise” and increase sustainability of her iwi and Aotearoa as a whole.
“I want to be creating and aiding in a space where there is enough information and action accessible to Māori to make change. A lot of environmentally friendly solutions aren’t always accessible to everybody.”
Her study has made her more certain that this is a way she is able to create change.
In her undergraduate degree she took Māori indigenous studies and Mātauranga Māori which has helped her understanding of traditional knowledge that can be used to create sustainable action.
Her honours year project focuses on the management of fisheries around Te Pātaka-o-Rākaihautū Banks Peninsula.
“A huge focus for me is making the most out of mātauranga Māori and traditional knowledge that is there to create the change that will last for generations. A lot of things that are deemed ‘change’ aren’t always with the same intergenerational forethought compared to a te ao Māori world view.”
Lucy is aware there is a lack of representation of wāhine Māori and Māori in general in tertiary education and hopes to help change that.
“I want to aid in creating space where wāhine Māori are at the forefront of the conversation and having backing from within themselves and from institutions so they can feel comfortable in that space.
“Even in my courses there are not many other Māori students. A lot of steps need to be taken before there is the correct amount of representation at the tertiary level.”
To anyone in Tairāwhiti thinking about what they can do in life, Lucy has one piece of advice: “Take that first step in looking for an opportunity. That first step might be the scariest but it will all pay off.”
Lucy Coulston is a wahine on a mission, with a goal of creating change in the environmental space using mātauranga Māori and indigenous practices. She talked to kaupapa Māori reporter Matai O’Connor . . .