Isaac Hughes and Caroline Simmonds are grateful they have been able to study and work and buy their first home. Isaac says being able to study at EIT here in his home town helped a lot.
As a contributor to the community, Isaac Hughes welcomed the opportunity to study locally to gain his degree at EIT Tairāwhiti.
Home schooled in Tokomaru Bay, the 23 year-old graduated in April having completed his Bachelor of Business Studies (Accounting) last year with no student loan.
He estimates the cost of his degree – after scholarships – at around $7000, while many others who study outside the region graduate with a debt over $50,000.
Although he is modest about his achievements, it is clear the district stands to gain a lot by keeping people like Isaac here to study. Fluent in Māori, a keen musician and a cricketer with High School Old Boys’ championship-winning team, Isaac also served on Gisborne District Council’s Youth Council last year.
He was awarded an EIT Year 13 Scholarship, and additional scholarships for highest grade in a law course, top first-year business student and EIT’s top diploma graduate. During his study he encouraged other young people to study – “I’ve manage to convince a few people to become accountants!”
By combining part-time work at Pak n Save, AFFCO and Gisborne accountants Coates Associates and study, he avoided a student loan. His partner Caroline Simmonds also works at Pak n Save and is almost finished an extramural Bachelor of Arts. This year the young couple bought a large four bedroom house in Te Hapara.
“I’ve worked since I was about eight, when my brother and I started a lawn-mowing and carwashing business. It was just a matter of working and living cheaply,” said Isaac. “Initially I worried that because I studied here it might be harder to get a job than if I had gone away to university, but I got a job right away with Coates Associates, and I love it. A lot of my friends who went away to uni and racked up big debts are still looking for work a year after they finished.”
He found the EIT study environment enriching in other ways. “A lot of the people I studied with were middleaged and it was great to have access to their life experience.
“If anyone is weighing up whether they should go away to study they could do here, I would say go to EIT. There are some great lecturers, and you can do bridging courses if you are not enjoying school. EIT does a good job and I hope they offer even more programmes here.”
“I like the fact that with a CA qualification you can go to London or Singapore and get a job. I feel like the more money I can make – the higher I go, the more I can do for the world. You can’t help many people if you’re poor.”