My background is in Education and Applied Linguistics, and I have over 35 years of teaching experience. I began my career in secondary schools and, after obtaining qualifications in ESP, ESL, and EAP, expanded my teaching to include part-time work in the tourism industry and business organisations.

I taught in high schools in the Pacific Islands and New Zealand, before transitioning into tertiary education at the University of Waikato. In my tertiary teaching role , I taught classes with a significant number of students from the Middle East and Japan, which heightened my awareness of the challenges international students faced in academic study.

My interest in developing practical expertise to support students from multicultural backgrounds and diverse learning styles led me to work at universities in the Middle East and Japan. During this time, I gained valuable insights that have directly informed my professional practice and contributed to my current role.