Sue Bass

Sue Bass is the Deputy Principal of Reefton Area School, and a University of Waikato alumna who studied a Master of Education majoring in Counselling Studies. Before embarking on her graduate study, she had a role in pastoral care but wanted to expand her knowledge to better help her students.

Because Sue's school is located rurally, the support for students in need of mental health support is not always easily accessible. "In the meantime, I can act as intermediary support. When there is a crisis issue, the main hub of support is at least an hour away. This is when I use what I’ve learned to provide immediate support to students."

Sue explains that counselling studies would be useful for anyone to take. She says, "It would help any teacher as there are so many issues that we deal with, including mental health. One of my favourite things about counselling studies is all the practical things I learned. I enjoyed seeing how the theory is used in real-world scenarios."