Whanganui Woman Wins National Student of the Year Award
October, 2017
Whanganui tertiary learning provider Training For You is proud to announce that Independent Tertiary Education New Zealand (ITENZ) has awarded the 2017 Cengage Domestic Student of the Year award to a Training For You student.
ITENZ represents the majority of Independent Tertiary Institutions in New Zealand. The annual ITENZ Sector Awards showcase the achievements of the private tertiary sector. The prestigious award ceremony took place at the annual ITENZ Conference Awards dinner, recently held in Queenstown. Eleven recipients were presented with awards, from eight award categories. The Cengage Domestic Student of the Year Award highlights the achievements of students, but also celebrates the work carried out by the independent tertiary education sector.
Training For You student Liz Beamsley has been awarded the top honour in recognition of her achievement as a student of the Training For You online learning programme, Teacher Aiding.
Liz’s nomination described the remarkable story in her journey of learning; Liz first enrolled at Training For You on the Women In Learning programme (now called Tangata Toa/Strengthening People) in February 2015, which was led by Tutor Diane Glennie. From there she progressed on to the National Certificate of Tertiary Studies at Whanganui UCOL. She graduated, then returned to Training For You to volunteer on the Tangata Toa course twice a week with Diane, helping other people like herself to improve their literacy and numeracy skills, and more importantly their self-esteem. During this time, she was also volunteering at the SPCA shop and doing the part-time ‘Free and Easy’ computer course at UCOL.
Diane Glennie says, “When Liz started with me in my Women in Learning, Intensive Literacy & Numeracy programme back in 2015, her confidence in herself was at a low ebb but she wanted to learn more, and soon became motivated and engaged. She had 100% attendance while juggling her family of three teenagers and various volunteer work that she did. Her self-esteem, confidence and her belief in herself grew enormously over six months. She often supported others in the class and would work alongside them in a very supportive unobtrusive way.”
From her experience of volunteering in the classroom, Liz discovered a passion – and a strength - and so decided to undertake the online Teacher Aiding (Level 4) qualification with Training For You in July 2016. While working through her qualification, Liz was able to support her studies by being in the Tangata Toa classroom as a Teacher Aide-in-training.
At home, Liz has fostered 65 children over many years and adopted three of these who are siblings. She also has three of her own children who are now adults.
Says Diane, “Her dedication to learning for herself and others is outstanding. While undergoing the Teacher Aide programme she volunteered every day in the classroom. She nurtured people who had very low levels of literacy and numeracy by sitting down alongside them and working with patience, empathy and passion to support them in their journey. Liz inspires learners to be more than they ever thought possible. She has the attitude ‘If I can do it, anyone can’.”
The award nominations had specific criteria, calling for a description of academic excellence, dedication and commitment to learning, outstanding growth, improvement, and intellectual development. Liz was a prime candidate for the award, particularly meeting criteria around success in the classroom in the context of care for others, inclusiveness and class/team cohesiveness.
Liz’s Online Teacher Aide Tutor, Kerran Bartley affirms this, “Her driving force is her passion to see others have the same opportunities she has had. She loves to help people - she has also volunteered to support a fellow Teacher Aide student based in Whanganui who needed extra academic support, meeting them one morning for an hour or two a week, over the duration of their study. Her application has been above and beyond, with the support she has given Diane, the Tangata Toa class, and a fellow Teacher Aide student all in a volunteer capacity. Holistically, she is very deserving of the award.”
Diane Glennie described Liz’s selfless attitude towards personal development as going much further than just the classroom; “Her ongoing support is exceptional. She has attended every graduation for the learners of the past three years. She generously provides home-made baking for morning tea for all the students and staff once a week. She brings in food for students of all the programmes at Training For You, and leaves it in the student kitchen for them. She goes around to secondhand shops looking for resources for the classroom to make the student experience even better. Her support to peers goes above and beyond what a Teacher Aide would normally do”.
Liz now has a Level 4, 120-credit certificate in Teacher Aiding. She has recently had her skills further endorsed by securing a part-time contract as a Teacher Aide, working for Training For You.
Liz is humble in her self-assessment, “I am a great believer in paying back and helping people. I love teaching adults, to see them grow and to thrive and achieve is great. My children have also gained from my learning. I am teaching them numeracy and literacy which is helping them to improve their learning at school. I have taught them not to be afraid of things they don’t know. My adult children are also very proud of me and they know that I am in a good place because I am happy and have found a purpose.”
Training For You staff gathered to celebrate Liz’s achievement earlier this week. Teacher Aide Tutor Kerran Bartley travelled up from Wellington, and Tangata Toa Tutor Diane Glennie took time off from leave to present Liz with her certificate.
In her acceptance speech, Liz typically acknowledged others for her successes, “Having the support of my online tutor Kerran was awesome. With both Diane and Kerran to support me I was in a win/win situation. The more I learnt, the more I wanted to learn.”
And Liz is still moving forward with her studies. She is now looking towards completing the New Zealand Certificate in Adult Literacy and Numeracy Education, Level 5, with Training For You; “Training For You is a place of learning that treats everyone with respect and dignity, where there is a sense of caring and acknowledgement. Staff and students are non-judgmental and it is like one big family. I love everything about Training For You.”
As well as a trophy and certificate, Liz received a voucher for Cengage teaching resources, to the value of $150.00.
Diane Glennie is extremely proud to have a Teacher Aide of Liz’s calibre alongside her in the classroom, “All the students in the class love her no-nonsense attitude and her love of learning. She is an inspiration to us all.”
