One minute she was putting the final touches to her MA.Arch (prof) thesis documents; the next she was sashaying down the catwalk, enjoying top model status on a star-studded fundraiser evening.
This is all in a day’s work for Christelle Ibambasi who graduates next year with an MA in Architectural Studies from Unitec. She is, in a true sense, walking the talk: the topic of her thesis? ‘Exploring the relationship between fashion and architecture.’
“I’d say it was the perfect mix,” says Christelle of her dual endeavours.
It is also a world away from the one she was born into. Originally from the Congo, she is the youngest of five siblings. Her mother was solely responsible for their upbringing after her father died when she was just one. Money was extremely tight and Christelle remembers as a young schoolgirl that sometimes she or her siblings would be denied access to class because the school fees were overdue. But her mother was resolute in her belief that there was a way out: “She believed that education was the key, even if we didn’t have much money,” says Christelle.
More monstrous challenges were to come: the family was displaced by war. After a five-year separation, they were eventually reunited as refugees in Auckland. Christelle, who spoke little English, was enrolled at Kelston Girls’ College as a Year 9 student in 2014.
Despite the obstacles, she embraced the opportunities that were now presented to her. It’s evident from her school reports, where she is recognised for her perseverance and dedication both to her studies and extracurricular activities. (Christelle shared her cultural knowledge through art, dance and music. She was also a whizz at football.)
Architecture 
had long been her career dream, but she did not know how she could fund a tertiary degree. But thanks to her career counsellor, she was encouraged to apply for a Keystone scholarship. “When I knew I was chosen for an interview, I was so excited – but when it was time for the interview, I got really nervous. It was one of the few times I’d ever gone into the city,” she says.
Word that she’d been granted a scholarship marked a pivotal point in her life. “There was so much joy. Keystone opened up a whole new world – in every sense – especially for someone like me who was trying to fit in.”
Academic life was not always smooth, but she knew Keystone was fully supportive throughout – well beyond the financial contribution she received. There were mentors, who taught her a valuable lesson. “At first I was too shy to approach them, because I thought I was wasting their time; then I realised I was wasting an opportunity,” Christelle says.
She also talks of the support of Keystone student liaison manager Samantha Standley, who, she says, supported her emotionally. “She taught me new ways on how to navigate life and find what’s best for me.”
The young child from a war-torn country who used to make her own dolls and their outfits out of scraps because there was no money to buy such luxuries, has been with a modelling agency for the last five years. Once she’s graduated, Christelle says she’ll be fully focusing on architecture as a career.
Even if the part-time modelling path ends, the Keystone link will not. “I’m just so grateful to Keystone and what they do. Maybe they don’t know the impact – but they have had a great impact.”
