January 28, 2025
First-in-family graduate’s mission to teach
Jess Campbell seized every opportunity during her Master of Teaching studies at UOW Eurobodalla, giving back to the community
Becoming a primary school teacher is something Jess Campbell always envisaged in her future.
Some of her earliest memories as a child are of playing schools at home.
“I remember setting up a classroom with my brother and sister, writing a class list and pretending to be a teacher marking the roll,” Jess said.
“In high school I knew I wanted to work with children. I started to consider paediatric nursing. I completed Year 10 work experience in both Moruya Hospital and a public school here on the coast. Both were incredible, but in the primary school setting I felt at home.”
While completing her HSC at Carroll College in Broulee, Jess enrolled in the University of Wollongong (UOW) Eurobodalla’s university preparation program.
“Once a week I got to spend time with campus staff and meet amazing mentors. I fell in love with the campus. The staff inspired me to want to study at UOW.”
Jess is the first in her family to go to university and being close to home was pivotal in her decision to apply.
With the help of the staff on campus and her goal to become a teacher in mind, she applied and received an early admission offer to study a Bachelor of Arts at UOW Eurobodalla.
“My parents, biological and step, and my older siblings all either went to TAFE or got an apprenticeship, no-one in my family has ever enrolled in a university-based degree before.
“I had no idea what to expect. My parents didn’t know what to expect. I was only 18 and I had no friends here on campus. I had to be responsible for my own education, it was very eye opening.”
Making new friends, navigating classes and assessments with the support of Nicola Bath, the Learning Development lecturer, Jess was able to thrive in her “second home” on campus, completing her arts degree before starting a Master of Teaching.
On Tuesday (21 January) with her family and her best friend by her side, Jess celebrated her graduation from UOW with a Master of Teaching Primary Education.
During the ceremony Jess delivered the Vote of Thanks on behalf of the student cohort, a role that acknowledged her contribution to the campus community.
Jess has helped countless students in the last six years.
“Ever since I started uni, my mantra was ‘you can't say no to any opportunity’.
“In my second year, I signed up to be a University mentor. I wanted to help people and saw it as a way for me to teach. Over the years I have helped with Year 12 programs, Year 10 programs, Year 8 Discovery Days, Year 6 days and helped run Kids on Campus activities with primary school children in the school holidays. I've really been involved in as much as possible.”
In 2021 Jess helped launch the first intergenerational playgroup, a partnership between Batemans Bay Library and UOW.
“We invited older people in the community and preschoolers and their families from the library run playgroup to attend the program.
“Once a week, over 10 weeks, we would run different activities and watch how these little kids and elderly people bonded. We were all amazed at the instant friendships formed.
“Years later when I started casual teaching, I was teaching Kindy and recognised one of the former preschoolers in my class. In talking to her parents they said they still had Margo, the elderly grandmother they first met in the intergenerational playgroup, in their lives.
“It's really heartwarming, the strength of our community.”
Teaching in the local area has always been important to Jess and her full circle moment at Broulee Public School isn’t lost on her.
“Returning to my old primary school as a casual teacher once I had secured my Proficient Teaching accreditation was surreal.
“From being a Kindy student myself, to my first taste of teaching during Year 10 work experience, to working as a LSO (Learning Support Officer) during the final year of my arts degree to completing my Master of Teaching, it’s all happened there.”
Jess admits university life wasn’t without its setbacks, but with every bump in the road she has remained determined to learn from it and take it in her stride.
“I didn’t pass my final placement in 2023, which I was very shocked about. I had to pull out of the subject that was aligned with that placement, and that meant that my degree was extended a year. At the time I was sad and disappointed with myself.”
Jess took the time to evaluate and ended up honing the skills necessary to pass her TPA (Teaching Performance Assessment) by picking up a subject in a secondary based education subject.
“Everything worked out, I perfected assessment skills, and it meant that I could stay at Uni for a little bit longer too, which I enjoyed.”
Reminiscing about her most memorable experiences on campus Jess can’t go past the success of the “duck hunt” - a playful game created by herself and fellow Master of Teaching student Lachlan Congram.
“Inspired by UOW’s mascot Baxter the Duck, teaching students were encouraged to ‘hunt’ for the hidden toy duck across campus. Once found you had to take a selfie with the duck, post it to the group chat and hide the duck again for others to find.
“The game brought together the entire teaching cohort with students from first, second and third year all participating in the duck hunt as a fun way to relieve stress and bond with other students.”
As her time at UOW Eurobodalla comes to an end Jess said it is bittersweet.
“It’s been quite a journey a growth, both for me personally and the campus. I got a bit emotional pulling into the carpark for the last time. The trees that tower over the carpark seemed so much smaller when I was in Year 12 and first stepped foot on campus.
“The staff here at Eurobodalla are just amazing. I could walk into any of the offices of any staff member on campus and have a great conversation. I love the campus and I’m going to miss it.”
Jess is currently working as a teacher at St Josephs’ Primary School in Bombala and is looking forward to what the future might hold after graduation.