Former Bethlehem College student Lauryn Maxwell has been named on the YWCA Y25 list for 2025. Maxwell is pictured at the 54th St Gallen Symposium which she attended in Switzerland in May. Photo / Supplied
Former Bethlehem College student Lauryn Maxwell has been named on the YWCA Y25 list for 2025. Maxwell is pictured at the 54th St Gallen Symposium which she attended in Switzerland in May. Photo / Supplied
India, Switzerland and soon Japan – Lauryn Maxwell’s studies and chosen career path in health and equity has taken her across the world for some “life-changing” and “eye-opening” experiences.
Today, the former Bethlehem College student has been recognised as one of 25 young women and non-binary people doing incredible thingsfor their people, communities and the planet.
From Tauranga, Maxwell (Ngāti Pūkenga ki Waiau, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Kiorekino) is one of two Bay of Plenty winners who made YWCA’s Y25 list this year.
The organisation’s annual list celebrates women and non-binary people aged between 15 and 25 who are “stepping forward to lead change” and offers a six-month programme for the winners.
Passionate about dismantling systemic barriers for marginalised communities, Maxwell completed a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in psychology and a diploma in Māori and Indigenous development last year.
Maxwell said it was “eye-opening” and “humbling” – she worked for a non-governmental organisation doing mental health research and supporting efforts to manage the spread of HIV/Aids.
The “biggest takeaway” was seeing the resilience of different communities in Mumbai, she said.
“They were dug so deep under stigma and structural barriers, but they still stuck together and worked as a community.”
This made her reflect on the importance of community-led solutions.
“I would love to return to India one day when I have more skills and more knowledge to bring. It was an opportunity I will never forget.”
Maxwell said she had just finished serving as the UN Youth national equity officer. Her role involved overlooking the organisation from an equity perspective, ensuring events were “more accessible to our underrepresented communities”.
Last year, she participated remotely in the global leadership challenge at the University of Oxford.
She said this involved making an equity-focused plan for quality education with four other students. They designed a “gamified tool” for young people to tackle disinformation in the Philippines.
Her team won, and Maxwell was invited to go to Switzerland in May to attend the 54th St Gallen Symposium.
She connected with world leaders and talked “all things equity” which she said was “life-changing”.
Maxwell also worked as a kaupapa Māori adviser at 2degrees in Auckland.
In November, she was going to Japan for her second internship focused on public health.
Former Bethlehem College student Lauryn Maxwell is going to Japan in November for a six-week internship. Photo / Supplied
Maxwell said it was “incredibly special” to be on the Y25 list.
“As a young woman, I think my work has always been driven by a commitment to equity, specifically in the health sector ... ”
Being on the list felt like “a big celebration” of communities and support networks which made her work possible, she said.
Maxwell said she was most looking forward to connecting and building relationships with the other winners, who may have other perspectives, skills, and lived experiences.
“I’m excited to learn from them and also challenge my thinking as well in different ways.”
Her long-term goals included contributing to systemic change in Aotearoa, helping shape health systems and policy that “truly reflect the lived realities of our communities”.
She would also love to help or start a social equity project focused on mentoring Māori students.
“I just want to help keep uplifting our Māori students, our rangatahi, and any unrepresented voices so more of us are at the table shaping the solutions, not just being talked about.”
YWCA chief executive Dellwyn Stuart said young women and gender diverse youth were often “mischaracterised” by the media, politicians and their elders.
“They tend to be seen, but not to be fully heard. We want to change this.”
Stuart said this year’s group were using “their youth as a superpower” and showing new ways to succeed in Aotearoa.
“However, they do need support, access to networks and resources, and a safe place to be themselves and connect with others. This is what the Y25 programme provides for them.”
YWCA Tāmaki Makaurau youth engagement manager and Y25 lead kaimahi 2025 Mary-Lynn Huxford said the organisation was celebrating trailblazers who were “beacons of hope”.
“Whether they are breaking barriers, representing their communities, creating joy and art, or helping solve some of the complex problems in our society.
“Many have faced challenges and used these experiences to build their tenacity and determination to make our country better.”
The full list will be announced at an event in Tāmaki Makaurau today.
Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.
