Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) graduands, Sijoy and Belle James, will graduate together tomorrow with a Master of Applied Management apiece; the motivated couple did so while working full-time and raising two young daughters
The common thread in the couple’s story has been SIT. Step back to 2015: Sijoy met Belle there while they were completing Postgraduate Diplomas in IT. “We were both in the same qualification then,” Sijoy says. Once they graduated, the dynamic duo were employed in 2016 by SIT2LRN, SIT’s Distance Learning Faculty, as Content Managers.
Since then, they have married (2019), and have two daughters, aged five and two, with a third baby due in the Autumn of next year. Both now work in local government; Sijoy with Invercargill City Council (ICC) and Belle with Southland District Council (SDC). But why choose to do a master’s on top of an already busy life? “Belle wanted to do a master’s; she motivated me to do one as well,” Sijoy explains. They were familiar with SIT and SIT2LRN. “We wanted to use that opportunity while it was available and make use of Zero Fees as well.”
Their master’s topics relate to the work they do at their respective councils – Sijoy’s is IT sector related – The role of resource management, change management, and business communication in the success of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation projects in New Zealand local government. Belle’s thesis was Transforming data management in water sector in New Zealand: A change management approach.
The couple say there were mainly positives to doing their studies at the same time. Sijoy found support in discussing his topic with Belle. “… it gave me more insight and ideas. It’s good to have somebody to talk to. It helps widen your perception of things.”
Belle benefited from taking time to reflect. “…My motivation in doing this is at the end of the day, our girls will grow up, and I want them to explore and be a part of the education system.”
Both were able to juggle their commitment to their daughters, Sijoy says. “When doing assignments Belle could take the girls; we understood each other’s situation.”
Unsurprisingly, the most challenging aspect for them both was preventing exhaustion. “We both felt really drained sometimes, with work, the kids, and especially for Belle,” who also runs their home, Sijoy acknowledges. Having good time management and taking care of their girls were the big hurdles to navigate.
And Belle agrees, “It was a challenging time, but completely worth it.” She confesses no-one knew they were studying their master’s, aside from Sijoy gaining permission from work to cover his master’s topic, they kept it quiet, “until we completed our papers, so there was no extra pressure,” Belle explains.
Now that the pressure was off, Sijoy was looking forward to enjoying some free time. “I’m encouraging him to go back to his football,” Belle says. “He was playing for Queens Park. I’m encouraging him to be more active. If he’s more active. I’ll walk more,” she adds.
And as for Belle, well, she’s on a roll and wants to carry on studying. “I’ve enrolled in another master’s: Engineering Project Management… I’m thankful for SIT2LRN; after completing my master’s with [them] I’m eager to learn more and explore more.”
The couple are going to mark the occasion with Belle’s parents who live in nearby Edendale. “We’ll celebrate with family and have a dinner since it is also our younger daughter’s 2nd birthday.” Belle recognises her strong work ethic comes from her parents. “Dad is 65 and still working full-time (in dairy farming). I think that’s where I get my attitude from.”