“I didn’t want to be commuting every day to a nine-to-five job,” Terri explains. After her second son was born, she chose to step away from corporate life and become a full-time mum, focusing on being present during her children’s early years. She wasn’t actively looking for a new profession when, by chance, she noticed a flyer at Prace promoting the Certificate III in School-Based Education Support.

“It sounded like such a comprehensive course and really piqued my interest,” she says. “Teaching hadn’t been a lifelong ambition, but as a parent I’d become fascinated by how children think, feel and learn. Seeing that flyer was a lucky accident. It led me into a new and fulfilling career.”

From the beginning, Terri found Prace to be a supportive, welcoming place to study as a mature-age learner. She describes her teacher, Edita, as an excellent and inspiring instructor who brought the coursework to life. The structure of the program also made a strong impression: placement on Mondays, group discussions on Fridays, and plenty of opportunities to reflect on real classroom experiences.

“My course was very practical,” she says. “Sharing experiences and giving each other feedback really deepened our understanding of the theory and bonded us. We still keep in touch and support each other.”

Terri’s dedication quickly paid off. She completed her course on a Friday and was offered a permanent part-time position at a local school the following Monday. The transition into the classroom felt natural, and soon she found herself wanting to explore even more opportunities in education.

“I rediscovered a love of learning at Prace,” she says. “I’d like to be an English teacher one day, encouraging kids to also have that passion for reading and learning.” Terri is now preparing to enrol in a Bachelor of Primary Education, which she plans to study online while continuing her work as an Education Support worker and guiding her own children through their schooling years.

Looking back, Terri feels grateful for the unexpected path that brought her to Prace. “After taking on a few different careers, I feel like I’ve finally found my path. I can see myself doing this for the foreseeable future thanks to Prace.”