Giving young people a voice through communications

Mr Cowden graduated with a Graduate Diploma in Journalism Studies in 2012 from Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University. He has worked as a marketing coordinator at YES Disability Resource Centre since 2014. Based in Auckland, the organisation provides information and resources to young people and their whānau navigating the disability sector.

His role centres on producing YES’s in-house newsletter, a responsibility he has made his own.

“The in-house newsletter is my main role. It has been my ‘baby’ from the time I was employed,” he says.

From designing each edition and gathering information to managing publishing and distribution, Mr Cowden oversees the process from start to finish.

While his role is focused on marketing and communications rather than traditional journalism, the skills he developed at Massey continue to prove useful.

“Being part of a small team, I occasionally find myself utilising a skill that I picked up during my studies, like checking grammar,” he says.

Mr Cowden began studying by distance in 2010 before moving to Wellington the following year to continue his studies on campus. With a previous degree in Japanese, journalism felt like a natural fit when he decided to return to study.

He remembers the encouragement he received from his lecturers, who helped make his time at Massey a positive experience.

Mr Cowden says it took some time for him to secure a job after graduating. Following an unsuccessful search in Wellington, he moved back to Auckland in 2013 and joined YES the following year.

More than 12 years later, it is the people and the organisation’s purpose that continue to make the role rewarding.

“YES is a small team but what has kept me there is working with a great group of individuals who all want the same outcome and a better future for our rangatahi whaikaha.”

He particularly enjoys seeing the organisation’s programmes take shape, including initiatives that help young disabled people prepare for life beyond school.

The school leavers’ programme stands out for Mr Cowden because it gives young people the opportunity to explore their options and decide what comes next.

“Something like this would’ve been invaluable to me when I left school,” he says.

For Mr Cowden, being part of a team working towards a better future for young people is a key part of what makes his work meaningful. It is a role that brings together his communications skills and a commitment to helping an organisation share information and resources with the people who need them.