WHEN Meg Southcombe was attending high school at St Joseph's in Aberdeen, she distinctly remembers one teacher who made a huge impact on her life.
So much, that she is following in her footsteps.
"Mrs (Alison) Tilse taught me PDHPE and how funny because now I'm studying to become a PE teacher," the 20 year-old said.
Now living in Newcastle and halfway through her education degree, Ms Southcombe said having a thoughtful teacher "dared her to dream".
"If you asked me in year 10 what type of student I would be, I'd probably say I'll take 80 per cent and I'll be happy, that for me was 100 per cent, but Ms Tilse always knew I could do that little bit more," she said.
She said having a role model that pushed her and her peers to strive for success no matter their abilities, lit up her heart to pursue a career in education.
"She didn't think university was the be all and end all. If she had boys in her class who were passionate about trade she'd help them get into trade," she said.
"And I just went yep, we're not a number to you, we're not just a student, we're a person and we're a human being and you respect that."
"It just made school a happy and safe environment, she appreciated our own individuality and what we all brought to the table."
Ms Southcombe said education plays a vital role in rural and metropolitan areas in reducing challenging situations and readying the future generation.
"I think unfortunately sometimes we pass that and don't actually invest enough into education so I saw that and went well, there's a space here to make a change and help young kids draw on their own passions," she said.
"I haven't become a teacher to tell people to go to university because success comes from all different avenues.
"We need builders, we need electricians, we need people in the hair and beauty industry. We need all different people who are passionate in their own area, and that's my job is to inspire kids to follow their dreams and goals and I think if I get to do that every day as a job, that's pretty cool."
"You have six hours a day to tell kids they can do it and be their biggest supporter."
Aware of the ongoing teacher shortage in the Hunter, Ms Southcombe said she would work wherever needed.
"I'll go wherever they'll take me," she said.
