Meet Veronica Maihia: The graduate who completed an ITC diploma while pregnant!
Veronica was our first student to complete her studies while pregnant!
ITC and Study From Home often get the pleasure of meeting extremely hard working young Kiwis. Veronica Maihia is one of those graduates.
Veronica recently completed her diploma while pregnant – and became the first student to do so! She began with ITC but courses switched to studied online during the pandemic, and with sheer determination and serious organisation, finished her studies prior to giving birth.
Of course, we wanted to ask Veronica about her experience, but knowing she was due any day, we didn’t expect to hear back from her for a while. We were blown away when she responded to the questions below shortly after giving birth!
Read on to learn more about how Veronica managed her studies throughout her pregnancy, her plans for the future, and her advice for anyone looking to study ITC. As an added bonus, we’ve also included her fantastic graduation speech at the end.
What made you decide to study with ITC?
I decided to study at ITC because I wanted to study and gain qualifications to work towards reaching my dream goals.
How did you manage your time between pregnancy and attending ITC?
When I found out I was 8 weeks pregnant it was in the middle of the pandemic COVID-19 lockdown. So during this time our sessions were conducted through online Study From Home. I managed my time during pregnancy and study by setting a daily target and noting down all important tasks for the day or the week that needed to be done, and ticking the boxes as I went through.
However, each day was different and not all days I managed to complete all tasks. I took naps in between during the day to rest, and every time I struggled with completing tasks, I had advice and guidance from my tutor Takeyuki Morita. Take helped me find ways to set the time for study and also have time to rest and eat, and set tasks and see what was stopping me from completing tasks.
I made sure to book my appointments on days that we did not have sessions, but not all days were available, so I had to pick a time where it was during lunch break. If there weren’t any appointments available I would communicate with my tutor and catch up on notes later on.
Will you be looking into working in travel and tourism once the baby is older?
Yes, I am still aiming for my dream goal as a flight attendant once my child is old enough to take care of herself.
What are your ultimate career goals?
To become a flight attendant.
Do you have any advice for anyone looking to study travel and tourism? (especially any tips for new mums!)
For those mothers or expecting mothers who want to achieve their goals in life and gain the qualifications that they need to reach their goals, ITC is the best place to be. You are never left alone as they have a good team that treats each student like family and not just a student seeking qualifications.
Key things to keep in mind – always believe in yourself on days that you may want to give up or when you’re stressing. Keep communicating with your tutor because they care and they will help you every step of the way. Keep working on papers every day – set a time frame and goal for the day on what you would like to achieve, even if it’s just writing up 300 words for an essay or report.
When you feel like it’s too overwhelming for you, take a break from study go for a walk or have something to eat and come back once your mind is clear.
Veronica’s ITC graduation speech
Firstly I would like to honour God for he is the head of my life and he is a good God. I would like to thank him for all your beautiful faces here today and for all the many blessings that he has bestowed upon me.
I would like to congratulate my fellow peers on this special day, as we celebrate and receive our great achievements. I stand here and say to each and every one of us, congratulations “We did it”.
I would like to thank our ITC family, for all the support and help that I had during my time here at International Travel College. Thank you to Louise for being my first tutor during Level 3 & 4 it was an honour to be one of your students for two years. I had the privilege to be taught by the founder of the institute – the one and only beautiful Karen Houston – and was inspired by her life experience stories for a few weeks that Louise was away.
Thank you to Takeyuki Morita for being my last head tutor during level 5. Thank you Take for always pushing me and believing in everything I do even though I doubt myself. Thank you for all the encouragement and support during all sessions and for always reminding to keep going when things got difficult.
Thank you to Susan Prasad, Susan Afoa and Andrew Houston for teaching us some units and helping us when I needed the extra help.
I am glad that I chose ITC to learn and gain my qualifications to work towards my goals. I will always remember the service and help that I have had during my time here at ITC, and I will always be thankful and grateful for all your help.
Te Atua Te Aroa , meitaki maata
ITC graduates can do anything – now’s the time to become one!
Veronica proves that with a little determination and hard work, ITC students can do anything. If you’d like to complete a diploma like Veronica – even if you have other things going on – we can help to make that happen.
Get in touch today to find out more about our courses and how they can fit around your life.
Campus Study – college@itc.co.nz 0800 TOURISM (0800 868747) or https://www.itc.co.nz/contact-us/
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