'I wanted to quit at times, but I persevered'

Lifelong development is also a strategic priority at Summa. Doraine Pulley is an example of a colleague who continuously innovates. As a single mother, she developed into an English teacher (vocational secondary education) at the Montessori College Eindhoven.

I was a lunchtime mom for my children at school. Volunteer work. I also worked in the hospitality industry on weekends. A weekday job wasn't an option with three young children. At some point, lunchtime became more professionalized. I became a lunchtime coordinator, a paid position. I earned certifications for that at Summa. After a few years, I started to wonder: what else could I do? I decided to apply for a teaching assistant position at the Montessori College in Eindhoven. No experience, no training. But I was hired. I was completely surprised: was I the only applicant?

English teacher mbo

I clicked with the team and the students. I realized I had a knack for working with teenagers. After a few years, Peter Schoormans, principal at Montessori College, pointed me to a vacancy for an English teacher at a vocational college. "You can do it," he said. "Yes," I thought, "I can do it." I speak good English; I have an English father. I got the job on the condition that I complete teacher training. That was a challenge: working, being the mother of three growing children, and having to complete a full university of applied sciences degree. I considered quitting several times. But I persevered, partly because I'd gained the confidence that I could do it. It took me seven years to complete the program, but I succeeded."

Guiding students

For a few months now, I've also been mentoring students in the VIA pilot program at Summa. These are vocational students who discover in their first year that they made the wrong choice and still have to wait for their new program to begin. We prepare them for their new program. With assignments, work experience days, finding an internship, you name it. VIA will continue next year, and I hope I can stay: I love the combination of being a teacher and a student mentor.

Trust

I'm proud of how I've developed. I'm quite the Miss Doraine! I'm also happy for my children that I did it: as a mother, you're a role model. I show them that if you want something, you can do it. It's important that people have confidence in you. And if you have young children, it's nice to have people around you who can help with childcare. I'll discover what else I can do in the future. I'm curious to see what comes my way!