ECU's School of Education Prize Giving Ceremony.
Hardworking, dedicated, and balanced are just a few words to describe Edith Cowan University (ECU) School of Education graduate Janice Simons.
A mother of two, Janice had her first son in 2020 during her second year at ECU and her second being born just last year, a few weeks after her final presentation of the Scholar in Residence program.
Not only did Janice adjust to motherhood exceptionally well, she graduated with top results and a strong network of friends and fellow graduate teachers.
Dedicated mum and student
Balancing your studies with life responsibilities such as family is tough. For Janice, her amazing support network of family and friends contributed to her success at university.
"I am very proud of the fact that I only had to extend my degree by one year, and that I managed to maintain high results while adjusting to motherhood," Janice said.
"I have always had an appreciation for teachers. The only thing stopping me from enrolling was the fear that I would be terrible at it – and if that was the case, I could negatively impact the futures of my hypothetical students.
"It was my husband (then fiancé) who encouraged me to enrol, reminding me that I used to help friends in high school, that if I could put up with his group of friends, then I could put up with a class full of teenagers."
Hard work rewarded
At the annual School of Education Prize Giving Ceremony, Janice was awarded not one, not two or three but five awards recognising her academic excellence.
"It was definitely a shock when I received the email telling me that I was getting the School of Education medal, and then another shock when I received the email stating all the awards that came with that," Janice said.
School of Education Executive Dean, Professor Caroline Mansfield said that it was a pleasure to celebrate the success of Teacher Education students.
"To all of the prizes and awards recipients, I extend my congratulations and look forward to hearing of your success and positive impact on the children and young people you teach," Professor Mansfield said.
"Education impacts our entire community and I wish to acknowledge the support provided by friends, families and significant others of our students."
For Janice, winning the five awards was not just a recognition of the work she put into her studies, but a meaningful achievement shared with her mum.
"I think I am most proud of what this meant for my mum, who has sacrificed a lot as a single, immigrant mother," Janice said.
"Being a typical Chinese mother, I do not often hear verbal praise from my mum, and so hearing her ask my husband 'Where is that book with all the awards and names listed? Can I have it?' was honestly a highlight of my day."
ECU experience
Although Janice found her calling in a career in teaching, she first studied engineering straight out of high school at a different university. The change in career gave Janice a different and more positive experience, proving that it's ok to make changes.
"I think the greatest quality about ECU is how the lectures and classes are set up to encourage network building, both with other students and lecturers," Janice said.
"When I first started at ECU, I planned on just keeping my head down and completing the work that was required of me.
"Five years later, I have walked away with a group of friends who I speak to regularly, a network of newly graduated teachers and a number of lecturers who were very excited to see baby photos."
Next steps
For now, Janice is content on not pushing herself too much.
"I am very much in my newborn bubble. I am thinking of getting relief work in the second half of this year and looking for my work classrooms next year - however, I am also not going to push myself if I find I am not ready when that time comes around," Janice said.
"My biggest goal for the coming years is to learn how to balance being an effective teacher and a present mother."
Find out more about the School of Education Prize Giving Ceremony.