Paolo Palasan Aquino is in his 4th year of a Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours) with a specialisation in psychology at the University of Auckland.

Throughout his undergraduate studies, he noticed a lack of representation of Filipino voices in the academic texts of his courses. This observation ignited his passion for championing immigrant voices and ensuring they were heard and recognised in academia. Paolo’s Honours project this year is entitled: How do families talk about sex? Experiences and perspectives of 1.5-generation Filipino migrant males in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Paolo aspires to become a researcher focusing on documenting Filipino experiences in Aotearoa. He intends to pursue a PhD in psychology after completing his Honours degree, aiming to publish academic articles that shed light on the lived experiences of the Filipino community in these shores.