“If you’re looking for a rewarding job, working with children and creating meaningful relationships with not only the children and their families, but the staff and wider community, then this is the place.”
Sophie: Growing a Career Where It All Began
For Sophie, a career at Ambrose started in a place that was already very familiar to her.
She began her journey as a School-Based Trainee in the Preschool at Ambrose St John XXIII, located on the same campus where she attended both primary and high school. Working as an educator at St John XXIII is full-circle moment, growing her early learning career in a community that has played such an important role in her own upbringing and education.
Being surrounded by familiar faces made the transition from student to educator both exciting and rewarding. Sophie even found herself caring for the children of teachers who had once taught her, creating a unique connection to the community she had been part of for so many years.
What Sophie enjoys most about working at Ambrose is the strong sense of community, connection and, of course, the children.
“The children are my biggest motivation,” Sophie says. “They have the most fabulous personalities. They greet me with cuddles, drawings they’ve created, or simply excitement to see me. The children I’ve worked with over the past four and a half years inspire me to be better every day.”
While completing her Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, Sophie gained valuable hands-on experience and developed the skills and confidence needed to grow her career. After successfully completing her qualification, she progressed into a full-time Cert III Educator role before undertaking a full-time Diploma traineeship. On completion of her Diploma she continued her professional growth, becoming a Diploma Qualified Educator and taking on the additional responsibility of Responsible Person. Having completed two traineeships, Sophie’s career journey highlights the valuable opportunities available at Ambrose for educators who are eager to learn and develop.
A key part of Sophie’s success has been the encouragement and support she has received from her colleagues and mentors. She credits Service Director, Tania, as a significant influence on her development, describing her as a supportive leader who genuinely cares about the wellbeing and success of her team. Through Tania’s guidance and mentorship, Sophie has been encouraged to challenge herself, continue learning and pursue new opportunities for growth.
Looking back, Sophie is incredibly proud of how far she has come. What started as a school-based traineeship on the same campus where she once attended school has grown into a rewarding career in early childhood education, allowing her to give back to the community that helped shape her own journey.