Site visit for Building Regula...
Our NZ Certificate in Building Regulatory Environment (BRE) in-class stream of students had the opportunity to see their learning...
The Covid-19 crisis holds a silver lining for health student Penn Legg, who is progressing to study nursing. An avid traveller, she admits Auckland’s lockdown has led to her academic journey. “If this pandemic did not occur, I wouldn’t be here as I’d probably be travelling abroad.”
Penn has been accepted to study Enrolled Nursing next year at the Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec) in Hamilton. The Te Kauwhata resident has been commuting to our Manukau campus to achieve the NZ Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Advanced Care and Support), Level 4. “The staff at Future Skills Academy are really friendly and our tutor is kind,” says Penn, also known as Josephine. “I have found some great friends too.” She savours the shared meals, an integral part of the academy’s cultural events, and is just weeks away from graduating.
The desire to become a nurse stems from growing up in the Philippines where it was customary to look after elderly relatives, she says. After moving to New Zealand, Penn worked in a bar and was later promoted to duty manager. In 2012, she entered the healthcare sector, serving as a support worker and a healthcare assistant. Helping others came naturally. “I put in the tender love, care and empathy to the person I was supporting. My partner always told me that I’m better off being a nurse but I kept telling him I was too old to study. But now I’ve realised it’s not too late.” She is tight-lipped about her age: “I’m old enough to know better but still too young to care,” she quips.
Penn is grappling with the decision of whether to study Enrolled Nursing or Diversional Therapy at Wintec. She is also interested in becoming a paramedic or first responder.
