Mary is a people person. She is very well suited to teaching but will be equally capable in any other field of work that relies upon relationships, honesty, enthusiasm and initiative. Mary always meets deadlines; she will ask questions to develop greater quality and she has the ability to lead from the front or to be a valuable part of the team. Mary is calm and supportive, providing a consistent approach. She takes time to listen, she cares and wants the best outcome for everybody involved.

Mary sets high standards for herself and her students. With her friendliness and empathy for others, she brings out the best in others by easily building positive relationships based on trust. Mary is highly organised and intuitive. Both as a teacher and team leader she thoughtfully develops plans and agendas and works through them in an orderly and systematic way but is mindful to keep them flexible as situations change. She thoroughly considers and includes the ideas and strengths of team members. As a teacher she knows her students well and has the ability to bring out the best in them in a manner that affirms and celebrates their strengths, builds self-esteem and inspires confidence. Over the years, Mary, too has developed a close working relationship with the students’ whanau members of all ages and ethnic groups and they speak highly of her. Mary has strong values of loyalty, integrity and honesty, as well as care and compassion. On a lighter note, she also shares her great sense of humour with others. Teaching is a skill that lends itself to many further opportunities and Mary has expressed a wish to rise to new challenges, outside the field of education. This is a commendable step and an illustration of just how open she is to growth and change. She is a young woman who would be an asset to any profession or corporation that she would like to be part of.