Macksville TAFE student wins major achievement award
Thursday 1 June 2006
Rachel Koch, a Certificate III in Business Administration student from Macksville Campus has won the Business Services Faculty Award in the 2006 TAFE NSW – North Coast Institute Student Achievement Awards.
The Student Achievement Awards were announced at an Awards dinner held at the Osprey Restaurant, at Coffs Harbour Education Campus on 1 June. The awards recognise outstanding achievements in academic effort, community involvement and career commitment and go to students in individual Institute Faculties and in five other major categories.
Helyn Davison, Manager of the Business Services Faculty, said “We’re talking about an off-the-job trainee doing the Certificate III in Business Administration who had to handle a very challenging and complex study regime whilst working.” As well as having outstanding academic abilities, Ms Koch was described as ‘self-motivated, compassionate, patient, determined and tolerant’ and had ‘commendable composure in the light of pressure and unforeseen circumstances’.
Ms Koch said that completing the qualification was a milestone for her, personally. “I had previously been self-employed in a business with my husband for eight years, and needed to break into the workforce again,” said Ms Koch. “This was rather a daunting prospect - I was unsure of the skills required to gain employment now.” Ms Koch said that she had gained knowledge and confidence along with her qualification.
