Dragonfly data scientist, Zoey Sun, has made her home in Aotearoa official, as she receives her New Zealand residency.
When Zoey first arrived in New Zealand to complete her PhD, she never imagined she’d end up building her career and future here.
Her original plan was to return to China and become a university professor. But after spending a year or so in New Zealand, that plan began to change.
“New Zealand was only ever supposed to be temporary for me," Zoey says.
"But as time went on, a number of my friends chose to remain after completing their PhDs, and I started to realise that maybe I could stay."
As her PhD in deep learning and forestry research neared completion, she began gaining work experience through internships, including one with Callaghan Innovation.
That journey into the workforce saw her seek out a role at Dragonfly Data Science, where she has spent the past year working on the forestry and remote sensing team.
Since joining 10 months ago, a prominent part of her work has been on the MBIE-funded project with NASA, a three-year programme developing advanced tools for modelling forest canopy structure using satellite, airborne, and AI-driven data.
“Because my work at Dragonfly is so relevant to my PhD research, I feel like it’s made adapting to life here a bit easier,” she says.
“Having that connection to my research has given me a sense of continuity, while also allowing me to make progress, gain confidence, and find a lot of enjoyment in my role."
Dragonfly Data Science wasn’t previously an accredited employer, but went through the process to become one so Zoey could apply for residency. After six months of paperwork, documents and applications, she finally got the news she had been waiting for.
“I’m very fortunate to have had Dragonfly backing me in this process,” says Zoey. “It really reinforced that there are lots of people here who support me.”
"It's more than a visa, it's a feeling of being included, and recognition of the decision I made to build a life here in New Zealand.”
And while she misses her family in China, the friends, career, and sense of community she has built over the past few years has made Wellington feel like home.