Our People

Saras joined the team as a Quality Development Specialist in January 2021.

She previously enjoyed an extensive career in tertiary education in early childhood education. She has a wealth of experience in tertiary teaching, leading academic staff, programme development along with delivery in the face-to face, online and distance modes of study.

Saras is passionate about providing students with quality learning experiences that enable them to achieve successful outcomes in their educational endeavours. She is committed to supporting the Future Skills Academy team to achieve this through the development of quality programmes of study.  

Susan Warring develops new programmes and qualifications for Future Skills Academy.

She holds a Master of Management (Marketing), a Certificate in Designing and Facilitating E-learning, a National Certificate in Adult Literacy Education (Educator), and a National Certificate in Adult Education.

Her early career started in Sales and Marketing.

Susan’s goal for students is for all learners to have a future and to reach their potential. She is inspired by seeing her students succeed and participate in society.

“Learners should expect respect and empathy from the FSA staff and expect their study programmes to be relevant and engaging.”

During her leisure time, she enjoys running to unwind.

“I have run half marathons in the past and am still running, and plan to keep going as long as I can, although for much shorter distances.”

Susan left school at 15 without qualifications but returned to high school as an adult student. She continued her education at university where she gained her bachelor’s degree followed by her master’s degree.

Susan has published four articles in peer-reviewed international journals relating to pedagogy and marketing, and has been a peer reviewer for an International Journal of Marketing.

Adam studied Environmental Science at the University of Leicester (UK) and has taught in a tertiary setting for over a decade. During this time, he has held several academic leadership roles. He has spoken at conferences here in New Zealand and the UK and published in science journals.

Adam’s teaching and research have enabled him to work in very remote places in the world, including the Amazon basin, Indian rainforests, and around the Pacific. Most recently, he spent a lot of time on the Chatham Islands.

Adam strives for high-quality teaching practices and believes that all learners possess the opportunity to better themselves through education and achieve their goals.

Outside of work, he pursues his own research activities in the area of entomology. You will often find him in the bush with his camera. He played golf professionally for many years but left the sport to pursue his interests in science and education. He does still play occasionally for fun. Adam’s also been playing the violin for two years but says he’s far from ready to perform in front of people just yet.

Rajika Vyas holds a National Certificate in Adult Teaching, a National Certificate in Adult Literacy and Numeracy, bachelor’s degrees in both education and science, a master’s equivalent degree in computers, and a horticultural qualification.

She has worked in education in New Zealand and overseas for 32 years and also has experience working in the public sector as a junior system analyst and application specialist.

Her research interests include student-centred learning and Māori student wellbeing.

Rajika believes in student wellbeing and pastoral care as the basis of teaching practices. She says learners thrive with care and nurturing.

Outside of work, she loves gardening and collecting exotic plants. She’s an avid tramper and has hiked Tongariro, Mt Taranaki, the Hillary Trail, and the Pinnacles to name a few. She also loves to travel, particularly to places that have amazing architecture and culture. She hopes to one day volunteer for the SPCA or an animal refuge. She also enjoys crochet, yoga, and walks for mental wellbeing and physical wellbeing.

Brent Rodgers lives in Kaeo in the Far North with his partner Beck, their child, and Beck’s two children. Brent also has two adult children and eight grandchildren from a previous marriage. He moved to the Far North from Auckland three and a half years ago after completing a Bachelor of Sport and Recreation in 2018 at AUT in Auckland.

He holds a certificate in Tertiary Teaching, a bachelor’s degree in Sport and Recreation (double majoring in Coaching and Management), a Diploma in Building Surveying (Level 6), and a National Certificate in Carpentry.

“Most of these were achieved as an adult while working so I understand what it is like to be an adult learner.”

Brent spent 16 years in the construction industry as a carpenter, building contractor with his own business, and a contract site manager on mainly residential construction. He went on to become a Senior Lecturer of Construction at Manukau Institute of Technology for six years. He returned to MIT to teach construction management for a three-year contract while studying full-time for his degree.

Brent has worked as the Team Leader for Building Consents at the Building Consent Authority of the Far North District Council. During this time, he studied for another two years to gain the NZ Diploma in Building Surveying.

His goal for each learner’s journey is twofold.

“To inspire in them a quest for personal development through education and to assist with better equipping them for their roles in the building controls environment. Students should feel empowered by their teaching and learning experience,” he says.

“My message to prospective learners would be that I may not have all the answers, but I will be able to help you develop the skills and the desire to find your own.”

Making a difference to others inspires him.

Outside work, Brent relishes riding his motorcycle and playing bass guitar – although not at the same time. He completed two full-distance Ironman Triathlons in 2014 and 2016. He holds a certificate in artificial insemination of cows and had a franchise pregnancy testing cows.

Patrick teaches Council Building Consent Authority (BCA) staff in several cohorts around New Zealand in Hamilton, Hastings, Kapiti, Tasman, Dunedin, and Queenstown.

Married with two adult children, he relishes travelling in his motorhome and cross-country running. He hails from a farming family background. Patrick is a fifth-generation New Zealander born in Ngataki, Northland, and educated in Taumarunui in the King Country. 

His 47-year career was launched in 1977 when he joined the Army Engineers to train as a carpenter. There he gained a Trade Certificate, Advanced Trade in Carpentry, and the NZ Certificate in Building. He then worked in the building industry as well as teaching carpentry apprentices at Taranaki Polytechnic.

For the past 20 years, Patrick has worked at Building Consent Authorities (BCAs) around New Zealand, starting at the Far North District Council, then Christchurch City Council over the earthquake period, then Tauranga City Council, and finally in the top of the south Nelson City Council before joining Future Skills in February 2020. His expansive career also saw him managing hotels.

As well as completing a carpentry apprenticeship, he studied part-time at different institutions for the following qualifications: Bachelor of Applied Management (BAppMgt), (Majoring in business transformation and change), Level 7, National Diploma in Building Control Surveying (small buildings), Level 5, National Diploma in Building Control Surveying (medium and large buildings), Level 6, New Zealand Certificate in Building (now NZQA Diploma in Construction Management), Level 6  (BCA Regulation 18 compliant qualification), Advanced Trade Certificate in Carpentry, Level 5, Trade Certificate in Carpentry, Level 4, Polytechnic Teachers Certificate (Ministry of Education Wellington), National Certificate in Adult Education and Training (Skills Organisation assessor for Regulation 18), Audit Certificate Quality College, Certificate in Adult Teaching (AIT now AUT), and Assessors Certificate (Skills Organisation).

Patrick says he was drawn to teach building surveying after the economic and fiscal policies of Rogernomics in 1987, especially the promotion of unrestricted free-market activity, led to a breakdown in trade training. This has left a large gap and an extreme shortage of qualified, experienced BCA building officers, he says.

“So, at my stage of life, I decided to join Future Skills Academy to hopefully give back, to help rebuild and train future BCA building officers,” he says.

“This I know will take years to rebuild although we have to start somewhere.”

Patrick says the two-year building surveying programme serves the Building Consent Authority industry well as it is run like former apprenticeships with a balance of block course training, online training, and practical work experience.

His goal for each learner is to create welcoming and inclusive learning environments where interactions between all people are considerate of each other’s needs and respectful of diversity. He aims to design collaborative learning activities that are structured- and further adapted- to be accessible and understandable for all participants. His third goal is to teach and foster self-responsibility for students to manage their own educational journey and help learners access suitable specialist and pastoral support when needed.

“At Future Skills Academy, our continuing priority is steady and sustainable progress for the gradual improvement of our learning and teaching practice in keeping with our vision and values.”

He is inspired by teaching and helping to build an inclusive learning environment by ensuring everyone feels respected, different identities, cultures, and languages are valued, all contributions are welcomed, learners are encouraged to share their life experiences and there are high expectations of achievement for all learners.

Patrick strives to make education accessible and understandable to all his learners by actively engaging with learners’ diversity, creating environments where all learners are given the opportunity to progress as well as providing options and choices for learning and assessment.

Carl has gained a wealth of knowledge throughout his working life from being a trade-qualified carpenter and a qualified building inspector in the New Zealand building environment.

“I have had the privilege of spending my whole working life (41 years) working in various aspects of the building industry,” he says.

His previous roles range from working as a hardware assistant and a building supplies sales representative to employing staff in his own construction business and directing the establishment of a nationwide housing charity for affordable homes.

“I have seen a lot of change in the New Zealand building landscape.”

Carl completed his apprenticeship in Pukekohe where he gained a trade certificate and an advanced trade certificate as a carpenter. He worked for a firm that specialised in quality homes across the commercial and light industrial markets. Upon receiving his apprenticeship, he went into the building business and served across the whole sector on residential, commercial, and industrial building sites.

“My greatest joy from this was being able to supply pathways for my employees towards their trade training hopes via BCITO and ITAB (Industry Training Apprentice Building),” he says.

“It was during this time that I became an on-site adviser for BCITO (Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation).”

Carl spent 41 years in these different areas of the industry.

In Jan 2009, he was employed as an inspector with Auckland City Council. It was at this time that he completed the Diploma in Building Surveying.

“I spend my free time involved in community endeavours, with my church, as a Justice of Peace, and as a committee member of the Building Officials Institute. When I have any freer time, I spend it with my wife Nikki and eldest son Jesse, doing dishes and walking my dogs.”

Carl has a Trade Certificate and Advanced Trade Certificate in Carpentry as well as a Diploma in Building Surveying.

He joined the teaching team at Future Skills Academy in April 2020.

He aims to provide each student with an individual experience by sharing deeply his range of experiences to encourage their learning journey. Each student will be given the same information but their application to this journey will be different, he says.

He is inspired by watching students connect with our teaching and getting inspired for their career development.

He says the Diploma in Building Surveying provides a builder who wants to enter the academic world a graduated process to develop their skills beyond the purely practical aspects of their current role. Adult students can add value to their personal experience and move towards a more academic world if they want.

Married to his wonderful wife for more than 16 years, Sam has two daughters and two dogs. The family trains together in karate and he takes them hunting whenever he can.

“As I am getting older, I enjoy mowing my lawn, the simple pleasure of barbecuing and smoking meat for friends.”

Sam left High School with School Certificate, Sixth Form Certificate, Bursary, and University Entrance. He studied law at Victoria University of Wellington but left university and went on to complete a building apprenticeship. He holds a certificate in Carpentry and a Certificate in Advanced Trade in Carpentry.

Building runs in the family with his dad a builder. Sam launched his early career as a carpenter before following in his father’s footsteps to share the same career.

“I have had two full-time apprentices and mentored two others. One competed at a national level and another came third in the worlds.”

Sam delivered both commercial and residential work across the country and still receives Christmas cards from satisfied customers today.

He was employed as a technical specialist for Wellington City Council, defending, advising, and representing the council in a tense climate of leaky building litigation.

“Having been in numerous expert conferences on issues before the High Court and Weathertight Homes Tribunal, I have been at the razor’s edge of technical discussions before the court. Unfortunately, I have needed to undertake building surveys on behalf of the Coroners Court, making statements on compliance where a death had occurred.”

He also held the role of Team Leader Compliance for Wellington City Council where he acted on behalf of the Council.

Sam held the position of Claims Manager for Wellington City Council and delivered the Financial Assistance Package (FAP) where the crown and council together would pay 50 percent of the cost of repairs for leaky buildings. At the same time, he belonged to a few working groups for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment on timber remediation and the steering group for FAP.

“As part of this, I was tasked with providing lessons from building defects to building control staff and delivering training.”

He served as the Regional Maintenance Manager for Housing New Zealand. In this role, Sam integrated the maintenance schedule with the asset plan, oversaw the transition of a new main contractor, and developed the training needs to meet the performance expectations for contractors.

“To me, teaching is not about showing I know the material, rather making that material accessible to others.  I want them ‘to get it’, and not to feel dumb for asking questions.”

For students coming into building control, acknowledging this is a daunting body of knowledge helps, he says.

 “Between earthquakes, building collapse, leaky buildings together with trying to digest the law, building code, and regulations I’d expect students to feel a little overwhelmed. Having rubbed shoulders with some of the best experts in New Zealand, I am confident to say I don’t know it all, and there are times even I need to ask for advice.”

Sam shares this fact with students, so they are comforted by knowing they are not alone in such an expansive industry. He teaches a framework that empowers students to know when to ask for help and where to look.

He is inspired by simple acts of kindness.

There was a time when building inspectors had a perception as broken-down old builders, Sam says.

“The community expects more from it than such a perception deserves.  People make financial decisions based on our work. They trust us to get it right and to do the right thing for them and their families.”

We have moved into a more professional age where education and training are an investment, he says.

Peter lives in the Kapiti Coast just an hour north of Wellington. In 2019, he joined Future Skills Academy where he teaches Building Surveying and the Building Regulatory Environment programme.

He shares a love of animals with his family. They have two horses, two dogs, and a cat.  Peter and partner Fairlie are building their own house in 2022 for their family of four kids.  

He has a diploma in Building Surveying and extensive industry experience. He started as a carpenter in the New Zealand Army and has worked in local and central government. More recently Peter was the General Manager of Consenting and Compliance at Christchurch City Council, and then a Director for the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment.  He has also consulted to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet in response to the Kaikoura earthquake. 

Peter's goal for learners is to ensure they use common sense for sometimes very litigious issues. He relishes explaining why we do certain things in building surveying and seeing the penny drop with students. He wants to see his learners become exemplary building surveyors for local government.  

Students should expect plenty of learning and picking their way through technical and legislative problems, Peter says.

“There is also lots of hands-on work experience in the courses being taught so they have to be prepared to process plans, write reports, and inspect building work.”

He is inspired by seeing students grasp technical issues and taking their time to solve a problem.

“The construction industry in New Zealand is booming and with booms come issues. Having well-trained people who inspect building work to ensure compliance, saves a lot of heartache if things were to fail.”

Peter says building surveying and supporting building surveyors is hard work but it is crucial.

“The family home is usually a person's largest asset and I have seen what getting it wrong looks like and the effects it has on people. Getting it right is important.”

Helen Hegley has a diploma in Nursing and a bachelor’s degree in health science, having specialised in Coronary Care Nursing before getting into an educational role within South Auckland Health.

She was fortunate enough to be a stay-at-home Mum when her kids were young, working part-time for Foodstuffs marking unit standards assessments while participating in committees and going on school trips and camps.

When her youngest started school, Helen returned to work as an auditor for Diabetes Project Trust, now Diabetes Aotearoa, which offered a fantastic service to local doctors to support the care they provided their diabetic patients.

Seven years later she joined New Zealand Tertiary College as a tutor in the Health and Wellbeing programme. She later moved to Skills Update where she was the Programme Manager of the Health and Wellbeing team, developing Level 2 and Dementia programmes to support industry growth. 

She is now putting her management skills to good use and relishing the opportunity to work at Future Skills with such an amazing team.

Helen says she loves working with our students. Her focus is to empower them and to instil belief in themselves as gaining a qualification and skills is life-changing not only for themselves but also their families and generations to follow.  She says fun learning is good learning and happy students are productive students.

Outside of work, Helen enjoys reading, yoga, walking and tramps (particularly the glamping tramps when your bags are transported, and the meals are catered and with wine is cold).  She has a great network of friends and a special ‘Sunday funday’ group formed after our stormy summer in 2023.

Helen has three adult children, two boys who are in the building industry and a daughter who is an Occupational Therapist.  They all live in Auckland.  She loves interior design and has bought her own place in Half Moon Bay which she is busy painting.

Dr Srividya Krishnamoorthy holds a PhD in Construction Materials, a master’s degree in Construction Management, a master’s degree in Transportation Engineering and Management, and a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering.

Her teaching areas are Construction Technology, Contract Administration, Measurement, Procurement and Tendering and Property Investment.

Her research areas are Urban Traffic Planning, Supply Chain Management, Stakeholder Management, Logistics Management, Construction Economics, Transportation Management, Construction Materials, Geopolymer, Project Management, and Construction Contracts.

Srividya is a member of the National Association for Women in Construction (NAWIC) and the New Zealand Institute of Building (NZIOB).

Dr Priyanka Raina holds a Bachelor of Architecture (University of Mumbai, India), a Master of Construction Management (Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand), and a PhD Construction Management (Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand).

She teaches courses related to Construction Management and Quantity Surveying including Construction Technology, Building Services, Programming, Social and Legislative Environment, and Building Law.

Her professional interest areas are taching and research in the areas of Construction Technology, Construction Contracts and Sustainable construction.

Dr Omer Altaf holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from The University of Auckland. He has 12 years of teaching, facilitating, and research experience in civil engineering, construction management, and quantity surveying.

He is an active professional member of Engineering New Zealand, the NZ Geotechnical Society, and Buildings NZ. Omer is also working closely with the engineering industry and local councils for different projects and has recently completed liquefaction assessment projects with Auckland and Marlborough district councils.

Omer's research interests include earthquake geotechnical engineering, liquefaction, and building information modelling (BIM).

Born in Pakistan, he came to New Zealand eight years ago to excel in his academic and engineering research career. These days, besides his passion for teaching and research, he is a fitness enthusiast and nature-lover who likes to explore different cultures and make good connections with others.

Kanchana holds an MSc in Quantity Surveying and is working towards her PhD in Construction Management at Auckland University of Technology (AUT).

She has spent 18 Years working as a Senior Quantity Surveyor & Estimator for commercial, residential, and industrial buildings in the construction Industry around the world. She has also worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in Quantity Surveying & Construction Management at AUT.

Kanchana is an affiliate member of the New Zealand Institute of Quantity Surveyors.

Her research interests are construction procurement, building construction management, quantity surveying, and estimating.

She aims to give each of her learners the theory and industry knowledge they need to enter the world of work.

Outside of work, she enjoys exploring beautiful places and spending quality time with her family.

Hilda has completed a Bachelor of Nursing and a Master of Psychiatric Nursing.

She has been teaching since 2003 in India. In 2016 she moved to New Zealand where she completed a Level 7 qualification in healthcare management.

In 2017, she joined AGI Educational Ltd as a healthcare lecturer, was promoted to Programme Coordinator for Level 6, and worked there for five years.

Teaching is Hilda’s passion.

“I believe teachers pave the way and let learners choose their own paths to become the best version of themselves.”

Hilda is the mother of two daughters and savours reading and taking long walks during her spare time.

Chintal has a background in complementary and alternative medicine and has been teaching for 20 years. She has coached a range of health and wellbeing programmes in New Zealand.

“I particularly enjoy teaching mental health and addiction as this aligns well with my professional background in complementary medicine that lays a strong emphasis on holistic care and person-centred approach.”

She has achieved a Postgraduate qualification in health science in New Zealand and a qualification in adult and tertiary teaching. Chintal has also given back to the community as a support worker.

She believes that every adult learner brings a wealth of experience to class.

“My role is to mold and facilitate their existing knowledge and experience with the new learning. Teaching and learning has to be reciprocal, and this will provide a holistic learning experience for the learners.”

Shermini Priya Lawrence holds a Master of Science in Nursing (Public Health), and a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Science. She’s currently pursuing a New Zealand Certificate in Adult Tertiary Teaching.

Shermini Priya Lawrence has been teaching adult learners in the healthcare sector for around 14 years. She also has experience working in different healthcare settings.

Her goal is to provide an inclusive learning environment where all learners feel welcome and comfortable to share their views and thoughts, enjoy the learning, and achieve goals successfully.

She says teaching is a great way to keep learning and believes in the following quote by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, Former President of India: “Teaching is a very noble profession that shapes the character, calibre and future of an individual. If the people remember me as a good teacher, that will be the biggest honour for me.”

Outside of work, Shermini loves spending quality time with family.

Zaynab Nazar was born and raised in England and completed her studies at the Manchester Metropolitan University.

She completed a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and then went on to graduate with distinction in a Master of Science in Health Psychology. During her master’s degree, Zaynab had the opportunity to shadow a Clinical Psychologist and became a co-author of a research article published in the British Journal of Pain (Compassion focused therapy for pain management).

Zaynab also worked as a support worker/ acting senior at a Brain Injury rehabilitation facility for more than two years while completing her studies in the UK.

She is now in the process of publishing her dissertation project (Building resilience in the rare disease community) which recently sparked interest after being presented at the European Conference of Rare Diseases 2023.

Zaynab moved to New Zealand in April 2023 and chose Future Skills for a change of careers where she could enhance her skills as well as share what she has learned through her studies and previous career experiences.

Dr Teres Siby is a dedicated healthcare professional with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from India, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Science from Auckland.

She has valuable experience in clinical research, clinical pharmacy, and healthcare. Additionally, she has contributed to data collection efforts as a Data Collection Specialist at Stats NZ.

Teres’ research interests centre around neonatal sepsis, and she is proud to have published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutical Science and Drug Research. As a lecturer, her goal is to inspire and empower the next generation of healthcare professionals by sharing her knowledge and fostering critical thinking skills.

Outside of work, Teres is passionate about exploring new destinations and cultures through travel. She believes in the importance of work-life balance and finds rejuvenation in experiencing new adventures.

Originally from Iran, Farhad lived in Japan for 11 years before moving to New Zealand as a skilled worker six years ago. Now a New Zealand citizen, he lives with his wife and two children in Auckland’s North Shore.

He has more than 20 years’ experience in industry and academia in trending areas of information technology, including cloud computing, cybersecurity, the internet-of-things (IoT), and business intelligence. Farhad has taught many undergraduate and postgraduate courses as well as supervised several master’s and PhD students.

He has completed a BSc, an MSc, a PhD, and a Post-doctorate in Computer Science / Information Technology. An active researcher, he has published more than 100 articles including book chapters in peer-reviewed journals and conferences. You can see Farhad’s Google Scholar profile here.

Farhad is a Senior Member of IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organisation. He has worked for several years in the IT industry as a design engineer in Iran, a Research and Development specialist in joint projects with major companies in Japan, a Senior Consultant and a Project Leader in New Zealand.

His goal for each learner’s journey is to support and personalise their learning. Farhad aims to ensure they enjoy the journey as well as becoming inventors, explorers and creators.

“I wish to inspire my students. Students should expect to be in an inclusive, safe, enjoyable and valuable learning environment and gain new learning experiences and guidance from their teachers to enhance their technical and interpersonal skills and become work ready.”

He is inspired by nature, space, and the theory of evolution. Outside work, he enjoys listening to music and is interested in calligraphy. A sports fan, Farhad savours watching and playing such sports as tennis, badminton, basketball, volleyball, running and kayaking.

Ganeshan has a BSc and an MSc and has taught at universities and polytechnics in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the USA. He has mentored learners from more than fifty countries. He has also worked in the industry for many years.

His current research areas include the use of AI and machine learning in the real world for sustainable development and saving lives as well as learning facilitation (teaching and learning).

From 2011 to 2015, as programme leader of one of the largest programmes at Unitec, he worked with Unitec’s local and international marketing teams, Student Central and Student Admin, and helped double the EFTS.

He joined EDENZ Colleges in 2016 as Head of Department, IT, and was a member of the Senior Management Team.

Ganeshan is currently a proud member of the Future Skills Academy Teams and teaches degree students at Otago Polytechnic Auckland International Campus and micro-credential learners at Future Skills Academy.

He enjoys learning and helping students learn and working with others to help institutions achieve their goals.

During his leisure time, he regularly joins surfers on the line-up and catches waves sitting on his Stand-Up Paddleboard, even during winter.

His publications and videos on a wide range of topics including IT, AI, computing, health and happiness and even some recipes are found by searching his full name, Kathiravelu Ganeshan, on Google Scholar, Amazon, and YouTube.

Boon has a master's degree in IT and is a certified SCRUM Master. Boon has more than 35 years of experience in IT roles ranging from software engineer and product manager to CTO, CIO, and CEO across New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Japan, China, and India. Boon’s academic mission is to mentor and equip students with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in the IT industry, emphasizing practical application and real-world experience. In his spare time, Boon plays competitive badminton and goes to the gym.

Dr Hamid Sha holds a PhD in Information Systems from the University of Auckland. On top of his teaching, he currently works as Product Transformation Lead at Rakon. He has experience in Data Science, Product and Project Management, and Digital Transformation.

Hamid’s main research areas are user engagement on social media fan pages, customer knowledge management, and cybersecurity.

His goal is to help every student learn and build confidence in contexts relevant to the work they aspire to do.

Outside of work, Hamid is a DJ and gym addict. He’s also acted in a 2022 movie called Kainga. He loves nature and travelling and has visited more than 35 countries so far.

Waruni holds a PhD in Computer and Information Sciences from AUT, New Zealand and a BCS (Special) from the University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka. She worked as a lecturer in Sri Lanka for nearly three years before starting her PhD, and then as a teaching assistant at AUT for two years during her PhD.

Waruni’s research interests include Data mining, Machine learning, Business Intelligence, Database Management Systems, and Computer Science Education.

She strives to help learners acquire knowledge, skills, and attitudes that they can confidently apply in practical scenarios.

Outside of work Waruni enjoys reading books, listening to music, watching movies and hiking. She loves learning new things and facing and overcoming challenges.

Maryam has a bachelor’s degree in English Translation and an MBA. She is currently studying towards a Master of Counselling at the University of Auckland. She is an experienced administration and customer service professional and has worked in the fields in New Zealand for three years. 

Maryam’s goal is to make sure our students see their value and receive all the assistance they need to be an integral part of the Future Skills family.

As a student herself, she understands the pressure of due dates, finishing assignments, and balancing study with life obligations. So, she wants to help students to enjoy their studies and have the best learning experience possible.

Outside of work, Maryam enjoys spending time with friends, watching movies, yoga, and walking and exploring beaches and scenic places in Auckland with her cute puppy, Alfie. She also enjoys going to cafes and restaurants with her husband and friends.  

Maria Monroy holds a Bachelor of Education with a specialisation in Teaching. She has previously worked as an Early Childhood Centre Manager. Her years as a teacher and manager in Early Childhood Centres have given her strong subject content knowledge and real-world applications to support students’ learning.

Her goal for every student is to help them learn and achieve academic success and employment within the early childhood sector.

Outside of work Maria loves sailing, skiing, scuba diving and travel.

Sam Novak has been in the field of ECE for over 22 years, working in centres as a teacher, head teacher and in management. She also been part of a home based service where she was a visiting teacher going out to visit educators and supporting them in their ECE journey.

Her big passions are human development as well as providing quality care and education environments for young children.  

Sam is originally from Ireland but has been living in New Zealand for 22 years now. She’s married with two daughters, and is living the coastie dream in Whangaparaoa.

She really enjoys getting to know new students and discovering the passion of quality ECE together as they journey through the adventure of study and gaining new knowledge.

Lovleen holds a master’s degree in applied chemistry, a Bachelor of Sciences, a Bachelor of Education, and a Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education. She worked in the early childhood education field for four years before joining Future Skills Academy.

“I love to share my experiences in ECE with my students and help them become as passionate about caring for children as I am,” she says.

“I like to give my heart and soul to provide my students with the most welcoming and inclusive learning environment. I strive for professional growth and update my teaching practice for my students to benefit from it.”

Lovleen believes in building and maintaining strong relationships wherever she goes. She adores spending quality family time with her husband and younger brother. They like to travel and visit new places.

“I also like to spend my time in doing meditation and using my creativity as a therapeutic release.”

Holly He completed a Graduate Diploma in ECE teaching at New Zealand Tertiary College and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education at the University of Auckland. She’s also completed a training course in Theory and Observation Course from the New Zealand Infant and Toddler Consortium (NZITC). Additionally, Holly holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Business Administration.

Holly is a qualified and fully registered early childhood teacher and worked in early childhood centres for around nine years.

Her teaching goal is to be a stepping stone or bridge to support and guide learners to achieve their success.

Her teaching philosophy in Early Childhood Teaching is respecting children for who they are and where they are from, respecting children`s emotions and their development milestones, and respecting children`s play and trusting their abilities. She believes respect is the key for all teaching and learning.

Outside of work, Holly loves yoga, reading, and playing Lego with her son Jonathan.