Cat | Western Heights

“I suppose of late, one of my biggest regrets has been joining uni as late in life as I did.

I was always quite a good student at high school, but unfortunately, I didn’t sort of stick out the education side of things when a social life came into play. I returned back to uni in my mid-40s, and kind of regretting doing it that late, wish I’d done it earlier. In particular, given the way the structure works, as far as student allowance and your eligibility for it.

This is my fourth year, of a four-year degree. I’m doing Bachelor of Social Practice. My long-term goal is to create a program working with teen mums, and their tāne’s if they’re still around, and just working with motivating, well being. I’m a cook in a prior life, so I’d like to include budget cooking and understanding budgets, and also look at engaging them back into a local community food bank when they’ve finished my course. My parents were always great helpers of the community. My father was heavily involved in St John’s. My mother was the local Brownie leader for many, many years, and I drew on the need to access community assistance quite a while back when my children were young, and I found that support was really important to me, in the end, and very helpful. I’ve always liked helping people. So, I sort of thought, why should I not be doing it at a higher level, where I’m reaching out and I’m getting a better network of people to work with.

I grew up in Te Atatū. I’ve always been a Westie, apart from this wee spell where I had more central Auckland. I value family, I value friends, in particular here at uni, and I value people being nice to each other.”

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