Justine Holland had always been interested in a career that supported other people, so it was quite fitting she raised a family of four children before finding her vocation in Social Work
Justine explains her desire to study Social Work at SIT initially arose from her first permanent work role at the YMCA.
“I was supporting adult learners with a home-based programme to upskill in education and career pathways, and I saw firsthand how education creates a platform for self-improvement and opportunities to grow,” she says.
Invercargill-based Justine had finished high school with Sixth Form Certificate, then worked casual roles which fitted in with raising her family of four children. “I was always interested in a career working to support others,” she shares. When Justine found out someone she was working alongside was intending to enrol in a Social Work programme at SIT, she decided it was her time to give it a go and studied the Level 4 National Certificate in Social Services at SIT’s Invercargill campus.
“This ignited my passion for social work and for studying and learning. I successfully graduated in 2005 and immediately enrolled in a Summer School Paper at Otago University to see if I could manage university-level study.”
In 2008, Justine was presented the opportunity to undertake the New Zealand Diploma in Adult Education and Training (Level 6) through her workplace, which she successfully achieved. “This was an online SIT programme which I completed while also completing my social work degree papers through Massey University.”
Admitting she felt very unsure about returning to study as an adult, Justine’s uncertainty was remedied with “fantastic teaching staff and an amazing group of learners, some of whom I maintain friendships with to this day”.
Justine also reveals she learned a lot about herself during the course, “and why I am who I am”. Added to this was in-depth learning on colonisation and the ongoing impacts of this that continue today, Māori models and cultural awareness and understanding. “I experienced my very first noho marae stay, and I learned that I was capable of academic work.”
The biggest takeaway from Justine’s first venture into tertiary education (her level 4 qualification) was a newfound self-confidence and belief in her ability to undertake a university degree
In her Level 6 Diploma, she valued the online tutor support and accessibility, as well as the flexibility of being able to structure her study around work and family commitments.
And on campus, Justine enjoyed being treated like an adult and meeting new people.
Justine says her overall highlight in the two SIT programmes she completed were the tutors. “Both online and in person, they inspired and allowed me to think differently and view the world with a different lens while understanding myself and where I wanted to be.”
She admits as a busy wife and Mum of four it was challenging balancing the workload, but she learned to prioritise assessments. “…my study time at home was after the kids went to bed.”
Justine acknowledges that SIT helped to shape her by giving her belief in her abilities. “It changed the self-doubt I had about being able to complete higher-level study.”
And Justine has come full circle in her professional life, having recently been appointed in a new role as Social Work Tutor at SIT, working alongside two other tutors. “I do not know if I would have pursued tertiary study and achieved an established social-work career if I hadn’t taken that first step.”
Justine says SIT and the tutors who inspired her social work journey and career over the past twenty years have been integral to her goals.
“All the qualifications and work I have achieved contribute to being back here and working to build on what they supported for me, because I know the importance of quality education and support.”
Having experienced the complexities of working in social work, Justine says she understands the pathway. “I am excited about giving back to our community and students and working with my colleagues and stakeholders to ensure a new workforce of registration-ready, social work graduates.