Wānanga study supports career shift into social services
When COVID-19 hit, it changed the direction of Dee Clark’s life.
At the time, she was working in airport security as a behaviour analyst, but the impacts of COVID-19 caused her role to change and so did her sense of purpose.
Volunteering with her husband, who works as a community funder, sparked her desire to move into a career in social services and led her to study at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
“I now work at Papakura Marae leading Whānau Ora and doing this mahi requires me to have a social work qualification. Te Wānanga o Aotearoa allowed me to work full‑time while studying full‑time, and I went on to complete my Bachelor of Biocultural Social Work,” says Dee.
Motivated to continue growing professionally and encouraged by recommendations from her colleagues, Dee enrolled in the Kaitiakitanga Postgrauate Diploma to further develop her leadership and supervision skills.
For Dee, studying Kaitiakitanga wasn’t about learning from a textbook, it was about understanding herself, her values, her ways of being, and how those could be applied to support others in her mahi.
"Kaitiakitanga gave me the language and understanding to support people properly. It taught me values I could apply in my mahi every day, not just in theory, but in how I support whānau and kaimahi in a meaningful way,” says Dee, who graduated from the programme in March.
Returning to study as an adult learner and having spent 10 years living in Australia before COVID-19, Dee was stepping back into the classroom after a long time away from both education and her Māoritanga.
“I had been away from home for a long time, so my connection to being Māori felt quite disconnected. Studying at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa softened that reconnection for me and helped me re‑indigenise in a gentle way."
Through her studies, Dee says she hasn’t just gained qualifications, but she’s reconnected with who she is, strengthened her leadership practice, and continues to serve her community with purpose.
"Kaitiakitanga taught me how to care for myself and, just as importantly, how to create that same space for others. It’s helped me grow as a practitioner and support people in a way that feels real and meaningful.”
Learn more about our social and community services programmes.
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