Jenny Cole - Class of 1984
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Student to Principal |
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One day while surfing aimlessly I came across Carine Senior High's web page. As an ex Carinian I stopped for a looked and a whole lot of memories came flooding back ... Jenny Cole |
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Where are they now: The pictures of Guy McKenna made me think that the current students probably knew a lot about the sporting greats who came from the Carine but not a lot about other ex students with less high profile careers. I wrote this article to reassure students that beyond year 12 there are a world of possibilities, many you may not have even thought of. And even if your not an elite athlete or dux of your school you can achieve success in your lives.
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My name is Jenny Cole, I am 31 years of age and I am a school Principal. This is not what I thought I would be at this age. I graduated from Carine in 1984 and went to UWA to study Arts. I wanted to do politics and philosophy. I wanted to change the world. I wanted to get into Law. I missed out on Law because I was having too good a time and to be honest I was enjoying Arts too much. I shelved politics for Industrial Relations and I loved it. My parents were not convinced. What could I possibly get with an Arts degree. Good after dinner conversation was my flippant reply!
Like all students I needed a job so I began waitressing. It not only provided much needed cash to run my car and fund my social life it also was the biggest learning experience of my life so far. I learnt more about life and about people than I ever thought possible. In many ways the skills I learnt waiting tables and working behind a bar have been more useful than anything I read in books I meandered through my degree majoring in English and Industrial Relations. I waitressed long hours and saved hard so I could go on A Grand Tour of Europe, as all good students should. I graduated, barely 20, with still no idea of what I wanted to do.. |
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| My parents, frustrated by my lack of direction, urged me to enroll in teaching for the following year. When I discovered that you could do a Dip Ed at UWA I begrudgingly enrolled in Special Education, a course I knew nothing about.
I went to my first Special Ed lecture and I was hooked. It was fantastic – This was what I wanted to do!! I loved it and I have loved it ever since. After one very fast year I graduated as a teacher and I was posted to an Education Support Centre in the country. I went kicking and screaming – I did not want to leave my friends and my social life in the city. I was convinced I was going to hate it. Quite the opposite was true. I surprised everyone including myself and I stayed in the country for 5 years. I couldn’t believe that someone was paying me to do something I loved. They even paid me on the holidays and there were lots of them. I worked hard, bloody hard in fact. Nights, weekends I even dreamed about the kids when I was asleep. Teaching is no picnic and working with kids with disabilities is an even bigger challenge but I wanted to do nothing else. |
I had a short stint as an acting Principal and then applied for a job as a Education Officer. This was based in the city but travelling throughout the state as a visiting consultant for kids with disabilities. Wow, a job that combined teaching and travel, heaven. I got to see parts of the state I would not have otherwise have seen and I met lots of fantastic young teachers. It was not always as glamorous as it sounds. Changing a tyre on a four wheel drive between Marble Bar and Nullagine taught me a whole set of new skills.
After 2 years I applied for a job as a level 3 Principal, hoping just to get the experience of writing an application and maybe an interview. Instead, on my 28th birthday, I got the job. I now have 11 staff and an entire school to run. It’s only little in comparison to Carine. There are more kids in your English classes than in my whole school but the responsibility is enormous. I think I’ve come a long way in a short amount of time and I certainly didn’t realise that this was where I was heading. Don’t worry that you don’t know what you want to do with your life now. It took me 4 years at Uni before I worked that out. Enroll in the most general course you can, the one that gives you the most options and the biggest scope for change. My only advice to you is to explore everything until you find something you are passionate about and pursue that. |