Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti
6 minutes ago
Juanett Broadhurst is currently in her first year going into the second year of the NZ Diploma in Architectural Technology (Level 6) at EIT.
After six years of working in the finance industry, a move from South Africa for a better life for her family has seen an EIT student follow her Architectural Technology dream.
Juanett Broadhurst, 39, moved from school straight into the fast-paced finance industry in Johannesburg, South Africa, but she always yearned for more. Six years ago she and her husband Angelo made the difficult decision to move the family to New Zealand for a better life.
Juanett has three children ranging from 20-years-old to ten years-old. Her husband is a motor vehicle dealership owner in Ahuriri, but Juanett always felt that she needed to carve her own niche.
“Architecture has always been something I wanted to do since high school. My interests have always been in civil engineering or architecture. And when my son went to university last year, I realised that it’s been 25 years in the making. Up until now I’ve always been in an industry where I never felt fulfilled.”
She initially tried her hand in real estate in Hawke’s Bay, but found that she was not suited for sales.
“I soon realised that I had more interest in how the properties were put together than actually selling them.”
“We were doing research for my son on what he wanted to study when we came across architecture online. It just clicked for me. It was actually what I’ve wanted to do my whole life. I didn’t know EIT does architectural technology or even architecture for that matter.”
Juanett is currently in her first year going into the second year of the NZ Diploma in Architectural Technology (Level 6) at EIT. Even thought she was not at EIT when Cyclone Gabrielle hit, Juanett has seen the progress the rebuild has made in the last year.
She has loved the Architectural Technology programme at EIT and has enjoyed that the tutors are qualified industry professionals.
“I love the fact that the tutors are involved. I am a person of structure, so I like that their programme is structured very logically and they make it fun as well. Everything is very technical and can become overwhelming, but they break it down very simply so that you get just the right amount of knowledge to progress you and make sure that you know what you are doing.”
Juanett is looking forward to getting out into the job market and she credits EIT for preparing her for this.
“They make you job ready, so that you can go work in any type of environment. You can become an interior designer or you might want to gain a little bit more experience in the industry and you can go do inspections for different companies.”
“I would love to gain some work experience in an architectural firm.”
“The designing of houses are great and that’s also something I really do love, but what I find fascinating is the design of the services.”
EIT Architectural Technology tutor Courtney Vuicakau said: “Juanett is testimony that it is never too late to follow your dreams. Our course attracts people from all stages of life. It requires no previous experience in architecture, we will give you the knowledge and skills required to be a participating member of an architectural practice. We look forward to seeing Juanett continue to grow during her second year of study.”
