Wellington Soldiers Memorial Club supervisor Janelle Nicholson, is with Kelsie Wells and her mother, Jo, when Kelsie visited the club last week to thank the board from the university grants program now running for the third year.
BACK HOME in town during her university semester break, Kelsie Wells called into the Wellington Soldiers Memorial Club to thank the club and Wellington Lions for her second club grant.
Kelsie, 19 years, has been fortunate is being awarded a club last of $3000 last year and $5000 this year, with all money going towards her accommodation rental.
She started a four-year High School teaching degree at the University of Newcastle last year, but after gaining two distinctions and two credits, decided to change to primary school teaching.
“I believe I would enjoy being in my own classroom for the year instead of having five different classes in different rooms if at high school,” she said.
“I feel that would develop a better relationship with my students and teach better.
“By putting the grant towards my rent I was able to focus more on my studies and not so much on employment throughout each term.
‘The grant just eased that pressure immensely.’
Kelsie said the club grant scholarship was a really good program, especially coming from a small town to gain this form of support is incredible.
“Families struggle with money and they can’t really help their children as much as they’d like.
“But, this program is a good opportunity to encourage more people to go to uni.
“Grants help lighten the burden while getting their degrees, then they can come back to their community.”
After four years study Kelsie said he aim was to bring back her studies.
“So, by bringing back my studies, hopefully I can be a good teacher that can help push my students so they can go to uni and then they can bring their studies back to continue the circle of better education,” Kelsie said.
“Being from a country town it definitely gives me a different perspective than a lot of my classmates at uni.
“Many are from cities and don’t have the perspective that I have from growing up here in a country town.
“And when we do discuss teaching in rural areas, some are all for it, but I don’t think they understand the struggles that come with it as well.
“Whereas I’ve lived here. I understand the struggle and the disadvantages.
“So I would teach differently then how they would because I can understand the troubles farm and town kids have compared to city kids.’
The Soldiers Club board believes in the program as it sees the constant brain drain leaving Wellington each year and not returning.
Asked if she thought this was a good program Kelsie said it was.
“There is a ‘teach rural’ program where a rural school can sponsor a student through uni and also give financial
assistance,” she said.
“And at the end of your degree you have a guarantee of a job at that school, so if people had a school in mind where they’d like to teach at specifically, if they got that offer as well as this club grant the financial pressure of moving far away would be so much easier for them.
“Being away from home has been a lot easier as I have my partner with me and we are both studying at Newcastle uni.
“So it has been a lot easier for me than people going on their own.”