BRIDGING A DIVIDE

#ASpecialistDecision

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I am the youngest of three siblings. When I was two month’s old, I was sent to my aunt’s to be taken care of, and my parents would visit over the weekends. As I grew older, my aunt took in other children, and I enjoyed helping her watch over the younger ones. Being brought up by an aunt in a way gave me two “mothers”, both of whom I love dearly, but it also made me wonder what would be an ideal environment for a child to grow up in. 

When I completed high school, I continued into my Form Six.  Unfortunately I didn’t find classes very exciting. One day I stumbled upon Dika College, and I was attracted to the phrase “Specialist in Early Childhood Education”. I remember thinking to myself, that if an institution was bold enough to adopt such a tagline, it would certainly need to have what it takes to live up to that expectation.  As Dika was one of two institutions on my list of possible options, I paid the college a visit, and by the end of that visit, I had signed up for my Diploma in Early Childhood Education.  

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#SuccessfulDelivery

It was a big decision leaving Form Six, but when my diploma classes started, I realised that I was doing something I tremendously enjoyed. At Dika, I found what I was studying relatable to many of the experiences and scenarios I had encountered as a young child. Subjects that centred on play and young children, and those that focused on the dynamics of the child, family and community were ones which I especially enjoyed. The lecturers who taught me were very experienced, and they connected extremely well with the students; as they were in sharing their knowledge and skills. I can only say that whatever Dika promised, they had successfully delivered.

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After I completed my Diploma, I continued on with another institution to complete a degree in Psychology. When I graduated, I joined a start-up and worked with young children. I then left to join Nexus International School as a Personal Learning Assistant (PLA).  As a PLA, I support students with special needs, helping them to effectively assimilate into a mainstream environment. I help them work through their academic, social and emotional challenges, whilst making it a priority at all times, to help them act independently. I also engage with other teachers to ensure that students receive a seamless, integrated and coherent academic experience. 

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#AspirationHeartAndMind

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In my opinion, the early childhood education (ECE) knowledge I acquired at Dika has been instrumental in allowing me to better understand the developmental needs of a child. It has also given me an insight into how I can better support parents and other stakeholders to give a child an experience that is best suited to their needs. I am able to embrace this because Dika has taught me to not only reach out to a child’s head (mind) but also to touch his or her heart. 

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My aspiration for the future is to help bridge the education divide, and make education equitable for all children. How a child performs academically, emotionally and socially depends very much on where and how they start off in life. Hence, it is only reasonable that all children are given the opportunity to start at the same point; because a fair race is one where all runners start off at the same starting line and finish at the same finishing line.

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#Daydreams

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I love to day dream. In fact I enjoy curling up with my thoughts. When I am not doing this, I like the outdoors, hiking or café-hopping specifically; or any opportunity to enjoy a good book, or engage in meaningful conversations with like-minded people. Life is beautiful, if only we’d take a step back and enjoy the view.

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Article commissioned by

CayD Communications.

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