From sport to teaching

Ben will be beginning his new job teaching at Highlands Intermediate next year in his hometown of New Plymouth and says he’s looking forward to kickstarting his career.

“It’s a very nice school. The Graduate Diploma of Learning and Teaching helped me qualify and embark on my journey of becoming a fully certified teacher. The amazing staff helped me through this year.”

Ben originally came to Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University as it was central for his family and gave him the opportunity to get excellent cricket coaching and financial help while studying.

“I really enjoyed the facilities at Massey, both with the Sport and Exercise programme and then with teaching. The connections Massey has with the local schools made it seamless to work and volunteer with them,” Ben says.

After a major operation in his second year, Ben had to move home for a semester. He says Massey’s support made that period manageable.

“Massey made sure I could still do all my courses while being away from campus. They rearranged my courses and adjusted my schedule so we could make it work. Even in other years, the team at Massey were always looking for ways to offer support, especially during these last few hectic years. They were never too busy to help and made sure everyone knew their doors were always open.”

During his time at Massey, Ben was a recipient of the prestigious Blues Award.

“This was one of my proudest moments, along with securing a teaching job and walking out with a double degree.”

For those thinking of venturing into study, Ben’s advice is to simply give it a go.

“If you’re on the fence, then 100% give it a shot. Massey is an amazing university with so many choices on what to study. You meet lifelong friends and really get to thrive and grow in the industry of your choosing. Take the leap!”