Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti
3 mins ago
Hailey Keepa has worked and studied at EIT Tairāwhiti and is now in her first year of a Bachelor of Midwifery, through the Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec) where her study is a mix of classes based at EIT’s Tairāwhiti Campus and block courses in Hamilton.
Her personal experiences and working at EIT Tairāwhiti’s Hub Café has inspired a local woman to study a career preparation programme at EIT and now midwifery.
Hailey Keepa left Gisborne Girls’ High School in year 11 in 2002 and proceeded to do a number of jobs before starting her own cake business, which she ran for five years out of her registered kitchen from home.
However, circumstances changed when she and her whānau were unable to buy the house they had rented for 15 years. The loss of their home meant the loss of Hailey’s business and weeks later they also experienced the loss of their son Kyrei who was born stillborn. These life altering events that all happened within six weeks of each other, made her assess her life.
A job at the Hub Café on the EIT Tairāwhiti Campus, led her to realise that studying further was a way forward for her.
“Working there I met heaps of students, and especially adult students. It inspired me to realise that I could still study at my age, and that I was determined to do better for not only myself, but for my whānau.”
“I always thought I’d love to be a midwife, but I always put it in the too hard basket, as I thought that it would be terrible to go back to school as an adult student. But working at the Hub Cafe, meeting all those people, I was like, ‘man, I am actually going to do this’.”
Because she had been out of study for so long, 37-year-old Hailey first had to enrol in the NZ Certificate in Study and Career Preparation (Level 3 and 4).
“I didn’t think I needed to do the level three, but I’m actually so glad that I did it, it helped transition me into level four. These courses just prepare you so much more for further study in degree level. They take you back to the basics, which I needed as I wasn’t at school long enough to even learn those. I actually did way better than I thought I would academically too.”
“My tutors were amazing, and all the staff at EIT are so encouraging. It’s a very close-knit community at EIT.”
Hailey is now in her first year of a Bachelor of Midwifery, through the Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec). And with her first semester completed she was pleased to announce she received straight A’s, and hopes to continue her learning journey at a high level.
Hailey, who is married and the mother to five children, says that her experience with her stillborn son Kyrei is a big part of her midwifery journey.
She says that while she realised that she wanted to be a midwife when her daughter was born 12 years ago, it was the birth of Kyrei that pushed her to make it happen.
“I always thought that it would be an amazing career to have and to be part of that moment in a woman’s life. What held me back was that I did not do too well at high school. School was never for me, I’m much more of a hands-on person.”
“But then after everything with Kyrei, I thought: ‘Gosh, how many women could I support through their healing process if I actually was in this career.”
EIT’s Study and Career Preparation programmes provided the foundation for Hailey to fulfil that ambition.
With three more years to go of her degree after this one, Hailey is keen to learn what is needed to become a midwife and to equally care for and work in partnership with all women, and give back to the Tairāwhiti community.
EIT’s Acting Head of School Education and Social Sciences, Mandy Pentecost, says: “Hailey’s story is a shining example of the way the Study and Career Pathway courses are doing a great job getting people ready to enter higher level study, and we wish Hailey every success as she continues to pursue her dream.”
