Where did you hear about The Fraser Foundation?

I heard about The Fraser Foundation through the Swinburne Online website.

How does it feel to be the recipient of a Fraser Foundation scholarship?

This scholarship will alleviate the financial pressure of living, allowing me to focus on my studies and not where I’m going to get the funds to pay for it.

What challenges are you facing?

I work part time and am a solo parent. The cost of living doesn’t leave me much finances left after I pay rent, electricity and food. I had my son at the age of 19. I began studying while he was young and continued to work when he began daycare. When my son started school at age four, he struggled with Prep and I was unprepared for the culture shock of the school system. We ended up withdrawing from Prep and repeating the following year. I found this year to be stressful as my son knew he had been withdrawn and struggled with returning to Kindy.

Throughout the years we have struggled with the school system and we have done a combination of homeschool and day school.

What inspired you to work with children in early education?

I have been working in the childcare sector since I was 16. My grandmother owned childcare centres and that is how I entered the industry. I am child two out of five, with two brothers and two sisters. I am very family orientated with my mum being a solo mother, having so many siblings growing up and now my own son, nieces and nephews.

You clearly have a vested interest in early education, what has been your experience?

I have an Associate Degree in general studies and also studied a Bachelor of Science majoring in psychology with an interest in society and community. My previous job was coordinating an outside school-aged care service. These services are set up within schools and work alongside the school staff and parents to ensure all children have the best opportunity for success.

Throughout my years in this role I saw first hand the struggles that both children and families underwent when starting school and throughout the first school year. Witnessing this is what has prompted me to go back to long daycare and help children and their families in the Kindy years. I am a solo parent to a 14 year old boy and have personally gone through the struggles of school and development in children.

What will you do after you finish your graduate diploma?

I am passionate about children and education because I have seen too many children and families struggle when they enter the school system and I believe these struggles can be better prepared for in the kindy year. There is a form of culture shock to these families.

These are the fundamental years that set our children up for the future and they need support and opportunities to achieve the most that we can offer. As educators we need give all children the best opportunities for success in their day-to-day adventures and their schooling career.

The expectations for these children when they enter school are high and no one prepares families for these. By being a teacher in a long daycare service I can help prepare children for the schooling year ahead of them and their families to lessen the stress of school to these young children. Ultimately I would like to work as an ECT and further my studies to achieve a PhD, researching in society and community.