Anna Willocks

Lifting up Youth, Both On and Off the Field

New Zealand native Anna Willocks, BS ’19, arrived in the U.S. determined to put herself on the international map. Today, she is a world-class athlete, playing for the New Zealand Women’s Field Hockey Team, while also working to change the lives of children with developmental needs and speech impediments

Willocks graduated from Saint Joseph’s with a psychology major and an autism behavior studies minor, all while becoming an award-winning field hockey player. 

Upon returning to New Zealand, Willocks landed a position as a life coach at ChoicesNZ. There, she had the opportunity to mentor people with disabilities, helping them build their confidence, develop new skills and achieve their personal goals. 

Currently a masters student in speech and language pathology at University of Canterbury, Willocks has aspirations to work alongside children as a speech-language therapist, specializing in communication and swallowing therapy.

“I love challenging myself academically while working toward a rewarding career. I am excited by the different facets of speech and language pathology and the varying career opportunities I can explore,” says Willocks.

As a member of the Black Sticks, Willocks is able to develop her skills and talents on the field while also serving as a mentor to young players.

“I love that I can continue to play hockey to a high level in New Zealand,” she says. “Earlier this year … I was able to attend a training session with younger hockey players and give back through coaching. It was really special to see the impact we could have on the future generation of New Zealand hockey players.”

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