Message from across the globe buoys educators

25 Aug 2016

The impact of a good teacher should never be underestimated.

University of Queensland summer scholar Ms Hyein Kim was moved to emphasise that fact, after opportunities opened up for her in New York and California.

In a heart-warming gesture, Ms Kim wrote to her former UQ School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work supervisors Dr Anthony TuckettDr Tim Henwood and Brent Hodgkinson to express her gratitude for their guidance.

“Fortunately I am now in New York City and have been here for one month working as an intern,” Ms Kim wrote in an email.

“I just want to say thank you for your support when I was in Brisbane.

“Without that experience in Australia, I may not even have even submitted an application.

“I believe working as a research assistant with UQ – and the decisions I had to make on a daily basis – really trained me to be an independent person.”

From Korea, Ms Kim attended UQ on a Summer Research Scholarship to work on the Muscling up against disability project, ran in conjunction with Burnie Brae Chermside.

The project provides resistance and balance training to recipients of Commonwealth Home Care and Home Support programs using the latest computerised European equipment.

Ms Kim is now in New York on a nursing program subsidised by the Korean Government, and will move to Oakland, California in September to work with International Rescue Committee.

“I really anticipate (discovering) a new world there,” Ms Kim continued to write.

“I want to embrace my life with joy and make the most of it, which is something I learned while in Australia.”

A stunned and impressed Dr Tuckett said that it was messages from past students like Ms Kim that made his job all the more satisfying.

“I thought ‘Wow’,” Dr Tuckett said.

“We should never underestimate what we do, how we influence others, and as this case shows, the benefits that an international experience can bring on so many levels.”

Media: Dr Anthony Tuckett a.tuckett@uq.ed.u.au , +61 7 3346 6787; Robert Burgin, UQ Communications,r.burgin@uq.edu.au+61 7 3346 3035, +61 448 410 364.

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