Horowhenua Early Childhood Kaimahi Melissa Lepper (Ngā Puhi), never imagined she would work in tertiary education before coming to UCOL Te Pūkenga. However, in hindsight, she said it felt like it was meant to be.
"I've always loved children and helping people. After travelling overseas for a few years, I decided to come back to New Zealand to settle down and follow my passion and
study Early Childhood Education (ECE).
"I remember having tertiary education mentors come out to visit me when I was doing my
diploma and thought they had a great job.
After working in early childhood centres for 12 years, I was ready for some change and wanted to find something a little more challenging. That's when I stepped into a tertiary position at UCOL. When I found myself out visiting students while they were on their placements, I realised this was what I was aspiring to do all along ".
"I like that as a lecturer I still have relationships with ECE centres in the community. I still get to interact with tamariki and it's really rewarding to be able to see the ākonga (learners) I teach, applying the skills and theory that they have learnt in the classroom with tamariki in the community."
Melissa says that the values she had as an ECE educator have carried through to her work in tertiary teaching.
"After five years at UCOL, I've noticed that when it comes to teaching, the beliefs and values I had as an early childhood educator still apply when teaching tertiary students. All ākonga need encouragement and support. It's all about creating an environment that is engaging, fun, and welcoming for them to learn in.
"That's what I love about teaching - providing support and care for my ākonga, creating an environment that allows them to feel safe and heard, a place they want to come to learn, and seeing them succeed."
The most rewarding part of her job as a lecturer is seeing her ākonga overcome considerable barriers to succeed, she says.
"I've had some ākonga tell me they were worried about studying and how well they would do because their anxiety, mental health or learning abilities are a barrier. But with our support and guidance, they get to work through those struggles. We've seen a lot of these students go on to complete their
Level 3 or
4 Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Care, or their
Diploma in Early Childhood Teaching. Some have even signed up to continue into the new
Bachelor of Teaching (ECE) at our
Palmerston North campus! "
"I'm so proud to be able to assist my ākonga on that journey. That's what keeps me going - watching them succeed."
For people considering a career in ECE, Melissa says it's the perfect time to get into the industry, with plenty of job opportunities available.
"The demand for teachers is really high right now and there are plenty of centres here in Horowhenua offering job opportunities.
"We're creating great teachers who are ready to get out there and get working. Even at
Level 3, I'm seeing my ākonga get jobs following their two-week placements."
Not to mention, UCOL sets ākonga up to succeed, says Melissa.
"Because
Horowhenua is a smaller campus, it allows for whanaungatanga and manaakitanga to be felt amongst everyone who studies and works here. All of the staff here are about working together to help our ākonga achieve whatever they set out to do.
"We know life is hard enough as it is, so we help to break down barriers for ākonga to make study more achievable for them. UCOL have support for every kind of need - whether it be financial, mental health or learning support. Having that extra support available makes a world of difference for our ākonga."
Discover more about UCOL Te Pūkenga Early Childhood Education Programmes