Posted on 28 October 2026
Our LearnersOpen Polytechnic graduate Benny Mathews’ Bachelor of Applied Science (Psychology) not only led to a new job, but a deeper appreciation of different viewpoints.
Helped by his new qualification, Benny was recently promoted to National Health and Safety Governance and Risk Manager for the Kmart Group, but that’s not all.
Studying psychology in New Zealand through Open Polytechnic, gave Benny the opportunity to learn both Western and Māori worldviews.
“I now have a deeper appreciation of the many ways of understanding human behaviour, wellbeing, identity, and connection,” he explains.
“Learning from both perspectives challenged me to think more broadly, recognise the importance of culture and context, and understand that no single lens or person has all the answers.”
Benny is now able to use what he learned during his studies into practice, both in his work and personal life.
“I really enjoyed the assessments within each course, I found that way of learning suited my style - by taking what I had learnt, and applying it to case studies,” Benny says.
“There were also a lot of assessments that related to my current work and so I was able to apply my learning directly to the work I was doing, which helped to embed the knowledge.”
“What I have loved the most though is how everything I learned during this degree, I was able to apply to my friendships and relationships, my work, and most importantly - myself.”
Benny graduated at our Auckland graduation ceremony in May with the support of his whānau in the crowd.
“After six years of studying towards this degree, it was one of the best feelings - it didn't quite feel real until I was walking across the stage,” he says.
“I took a moment to reflect on everything that happened during those six years and it was a lot.
“I feel very proud of myself for sticking to it and achieving this amazing milestone in my life.”
Auckland-based Benny chose to study with New Zealand’s specialist flexible learning provider Open Polytechnic because it gave him the ability to study online, at his own pace, while working full-time.
Benny would recommend that others study with Open Polytechnic.
“Education has not only allowed me to further progress my career, but more importantly it has helped me to understand myself in many ways,” he says.
“I am grateful for the knowledge gained, and how this helped me in all areas of my life - from work to my relationships, and my own mental health.”
“It has been life changing.”
Find out more about Open Polytechnic's Psychology programmes.