Cherry Smith

Cherry Smith has found pathways to grow her love of teaching, develop a fascination with life transitions, and discover a lot about herself along the way.

Cherry chose to study a Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) at the University of Waikato because of the Faculty of Education’s strong reputation and its ability to accommodate distance-learning students.

“After talking to a school principal I respected about which university he’d hire teachers from, I decided Waikato was the right choice,” Cherry says. “This was re-affirmed when friends who had studied here agreed they’d found Waikato very supportive.”

After studying Te Reo and finishing her degree, Cherry worked as a primary school teacher for four years in Waitara.  An opportunity arose for Cherry to study a Master of Education while being paid her teacher’s salary. “I jumped at the chance to do paid study and decided to start my masters – it was like winning lotto.” Cherry now works for the School of Education at the University of Waikato.