Actions that Impact Generations
The importance of nurturing curiosity - Emma Pearce’s experience on the Mullewa Rural Program
Emma Pearce (second on the left) with her fellow Mullewa TLG volunteers
During Semester 2 of 2023, a small group of four Teach Learn Grow (TLG) volunteers visited Mullewa District High School for a week. One of those volunteers is Emma Pearce, a logistics officer on the TLG Student Executive Team and a second-year medical student at Curtin University.
Having lived in Perth for her whole life, Emma has a thorough understanding of what it’s like to be a student in Western Australia. Even before starting University, Emma describes how she’s been enthusiastic to learn, “I was lucky enough to be a kid that loved going to school and had some really good teachers that helped foster my love for learning.” Today, not only does her love of learning continue to grow but she also takes pride in nurturing this passion in other students. Having gone on two Rural Programs, she describes her time with TLG as being, “one of the best things” about her university experience so far.
Emma’s recent trip to Mullewa was a unique experience, being in a comparatively smaller group of volunteers than what she was used to. Working in this smaller group meant that she faced a higher load of one-on-one tutoring, which gave her unique insight into the challenges that rural students may face in having access to a smaller cohort of educational staff. Whilst staff at Mullewa District High School go above and beyond for their students, some classes had a high turnover of teachers during the year due to state-wide staffing shortages. Genuine, productive and trust-based connections with their students were therefore hard to cultivate with such turnover. Having experienced these disruptions, it was clear that the students really valued having TLG visit, as it enabled them to build strong one-on-one relationships with their tutors and foster excitement about their learning. One student in particular embodied just how important meaningful relationships can be in facilitating learning.
At the beginning of the week, Emma began tutoring a girl in year 7 who was hesitant to get involved in activities. She would often get distracted and didn’t feel particularly enthusiastic about her schoolwork. However, Emma utilised the skills that she built at TLG’s Interactive Training Days to develop activities that related to the student’s personal interests and enhanced her engagement. By the end of the week, the trust developed between the two translated into a newfound curiosity within the student and a sense of optimism towards her learning. Emma describes how privileged she feels to have facilitated this experience, “this really showed me the truly meaningful relationships you can build with these students and the importance of showing commitment and curiosity in these students that we are so privileged to interact with.”
Volunteers at Mullewa District High School
Upon reflection, Emma describes how her time in Mullewa helped her realise, “the importance of TLG in giving more opportunities to the bright young students who may not be able to otherwise receive it.” In the space of just one week, Emma and her group of four volunteers evoked levels of engagement and enthusiasm that the Deputy Principal says she hadn’t seen in the entire year that she had been at the school - an effect that is sure to be long lasting.
“Volunteering for TLG was not something I would have predicted I would be doing at uni, but it has definitely been one of the best things about my uni experience so far. It is such a rewarding program, and despite not being an education student, it has given me a great insight into the possibility and desire to do rural work in healthcare in the future. I’m so grateful for the amazing, kind-hearted and like-minded people that make this program possible, and enjoyable to volunteer in and am so excited for the work that we will continue to do!”
Throughout the years, both the Mullewa community and the Rural Program volunteers have expressed a shared gratitude for Teach Learn Grow. Not only are the students and staff appreciative of the support that they’ve received but university students like Emma gain invaluable skills that they can take into all aspects of their lives. Throughout her various roles, Emma feels that she has been able to develop her management, problem solving and collaborative skills in a safe, supportive environment. Through the establishment of these skills and her volunteering experiences in rural towns like Mullewa, she has a newfound desire to consider a career in rural healthcare and is equipped with the tools to explore this. Emma’s story is the epitome of how just one person’s contributions to the rural education setting can go on to create changes that could potentially benefit generations. We would like to thank Emma for sharing her story, the Mullewa community for embracing our volunteers and Westgold Resources for supporting this Rural Program in inspiring change.
Written by Chiara Bevan
Volunteers on their last day on Rural Program
