Ryan | Seadown, Canterbury

“At the beginning of the year, I actually started university at Lincoln, and over four lectures, I decided it wasn’t for me. The course wasn’t for me. So, I decided to move to the University of Canterbury, and I thought that was pretty brave, because I didn’t know anyone. I decided to be a teacher. 

So, what I learned was just to give everything a go. I found that I’d rather give it a go and know I don’t like it, than push it to the side and wonder for the rest of my life whether I would have liked to have gone to Lincoln. So, I’m glad I gave it a go, but it just wasn’t for me. 

So, I’ve just done my first year of training to be a primary school teacher. I hope to eventually become a primary school teacher, inspire kids, motivate them, and be that teacher that they remember, reflect on and really enjoy having.

I was very fortunate at Roncalli College in Timaru to have a wide range of teachers that I really connected with. One of them would be Anne Huff. She was a very, very good teacher. She was just easy to connect with, easy to relate to, and I think that’s what teaching is about. Building relationships.  

So I grew up on a farm. I’m half Māori, so I spend a lot of time at the marae, in the kitchen, working with my nana cracking the whip, playing rugby, going to school. Just an outdoors kid, moving around, doing stuff. I’ve had a pretty lucky, privileged life, actually. I’m very fortunate.”