Covid-19 gave Jasmine Campbell (Ngāpuhi) the push she needed to change careers and enroll in college.

The transition from the tourism industry to teaching earned him a Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Adult Learner and a cash prize.

Jasmine, 30, was working in the tourism industry on Australia’s Gold Coast when the pandemic started, and when visitor numbers dwindled she decided to return home for a fresh start.

She is currently in her second year of her Bachelor of Education (Primary) at the Tauranga campus of the University of Waikato.

Her decision paid off last Friday afternoon when she received the 2022 Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Adult Learners – one of four awarded by the University at a ceremony on the Tauranga CBD campus.

The awards recognize the academic achievements and social contributions of outstanding adult learners at the University of Waikato who have chosen to pursue higher education later in life.

Recipients must be at least 25 years of age, in their second year of part-time or full-time study at the University and studying toward an undergraduate degree.

The awards were presented in an in-person ceremony by Vice-Chancellor Neil Quigley, and each recipient also received a cash prize of $1,000.

“I was so happy and excited when I found out [about the award]says Jasmine, who was nominated by one of her speakers.

“I didn’t even know how to write an essay when I started. It’s so nice to be recognized for all the hard work I’ve put in. It will also reduce the financial pressure as I cannot work full time during my studies.

The former Mount Maunganui College student had traveled to Australia after high school for a gap year, but “one year turned into 10”, she says, with stints at Dreamworld, Whitewater World and SkyPoint Climb.

Jasmine admits she “had no idea what she wanted to do, or if I wanted to go to college”, as a high school student, and going back to school in her late twenties was “a little scary” at the beginning.

“But I spoke to my grandmother, who went back to college in her 60s, and she said if she could do it, so can I.”

She chose the University of Waikato because the Tauranga campus is close to her home and the University had a good reputation.

Jasmine enrolled in the university’s Tauranga Jump Start program in January 2021 to help prepare her for graduate school.

The support from the speakers and her experiences as a student teacher on placement in the local classrooms were also positive.

“Watching the children grow and develop new skills in the classroom each week was very rewarding.”

A testament to her academic achievements, Jasmine was recently inducted into the Golden Key International Honor Society. She also works as a student ambassador and has volunteered at Tauranga Open Day and Virtual Open Day.

In the future, Jasmine hopes to work as a primary school teacher in the Tauranga region and possibly do a Masters in Education.

“I’ve always enjoyed working with children,” says Jasmine.

“Even when I was working in tourism, teaching kids to surf, I loved watching them learn.”

Three of the four winners – Rebecka Billington, Jo Mariu and Jasmine – are students from the University of Waikato Tauranga. Jared Kelsen of the University’s Hamilton campus also received the award.