SITUATION MAGAZINE

For many, 2020 has been – to put it politely – a bit of a crap year. There are more blunt ways to describe it… but you get what we’re saying.

For many SIT2LRN students, lockdown provided an opportunity to catch up and get ahead with assignments, or even to start new courses. There was a real upsurge in enrolments for intakes three and four as students realised the benefit of studying with a trusted education provider experienced in distance learning.

For students like Heather Gordon, SIT2LRN proved to be a crucial mechanism of change. Staring down an uncertain future in the tourism industry in Fiji, she headed home unsure of what she was going to do. Thanks to SIT2LRN, she was able to study full-time during lockdown and emerge on the other side with a new qualification and a renewed sense of optimism.

For some, lockdown was a blessing in disguise. Bryce Robertson was regularly making a 346km round trip from Dargaville to Auckland to attend classes as part of his study through a blended delivery programme. But once lockdown arrived, they moved the classroom to Zoom … saving him a four hour roadie.

Yet this edition doesn’t just focus on those students affected by Covid-19. We’ve also got some inspiring stories about those who have embarked on new career paths, thanks to SIT2LRN.

Take Brook Rush for example. He put up his hand to be the office health and safety representative… but enjoyed it so much, he’s studying in the field and is now moving into a full-time role as a health and safety officer with a focus on wellness.

There’s also an article about Maddie Bridge, who was so inspired by her mother’s study experience with SIT2LRN that she decided to embark on her own journey… while still at high school. She began studying with SIT2LRN at 15, with the goal to become a wildlife veterinary technician or vet nurse working with endangered species. Talk about being an inspiration herself!

No matter how 2020 has treated you, it’s a relief that it’s almost over. But the question now is what will 2021 bring? How prepared are you to face what life throws at you? Perhaps, like many in this issue have found, SIT2LRN will have an answer for you too.

Much has been written about how the world has changed in the wake of the chaos that Covid-19 has created, but the most appropriate quote appears to be that of a nine-year-old who accurately described 2020 as a “pretty stink” year.

So, for this edition, we’ve brought together stories from an amazing bunch of students like you, who have embraced the opportunities that distance learning has offered them and seized their moment.

Take Emma Adams and Aaron Walden as one example. To the outsider, they had the jobs and perfect lifestyle of living in New Zealand’s biggest city … but they weren’t happy. They wanted to return to the land, and now, thanks to SIT2LRN and some hard work, they’ve achieved their goals and are living their dream.

Courtney Hurt-Suwan is using SIT2LRN to change her life. Despite dropping out of high school, her undergraduate research is of such high quality that her dissertation is being published. She’s passionate about assisting Māori in obtaining employment and she’s on the road to achieving that dream.

Rob Emerson is living proof that it’s never too late in life to start studying. He didn’t find his passion for education until he was in his 40s but he’s making up for lost time now – his professional coaching qualification from SIT2LRN is just one aspect of what’s helping him encourage a group of challenged Timaru teenagers to develop their passion for learning.

These four, and the others we talk to, have all embraced the challenge of juggling their normal lives with studying. It’s not something that’s easily done, but the rewards are there for those who persevere. And it may just be those skills – in a time of great change – that open up the most doors.

Keep safe and be kind.