Tarika Panday
Image: Supplied
Tarika Panday, who is fulfilling her passion to help children learn foundational skills to thrive in an ever-changing society, recently graduated with a bachelor of education in foundation phase teaching.
The 25-year-old from Greenwood Park also achieved the top overall achiever award with an aggregate of 88.4%, and 42 distinctions throughout the four year course at Stadio in Musgrave.
Among her distinctions were 90% for law, 83% for psychology, and 96% for mathematics.
“Receiving the award felt overwhelming but it led to the realisation that the late nights and efforts paid off. It also felt surreal seeing the pride on my parents' faces. They motivated me to achieve all distinctions.”
Panday, a Grade R teacher, initially studied clinical technology at DUT but switched to teaching in 2022.
“My passion for helping children learn the foundational skills to thrive in an ever-changing society grew exponentially from my first year of teaching practice. It is a rewarding job to shape young minds holistically. My passion continues to grow as my pupils reach their learning milestones.”
She said her main challenge while studying was managing assignments and exams.
“When you set a certain goal, you push yourself to your highest potential. Unfortunately, these goals often caused stress and anxiety. This often took a toll on my overall well-being. However, through my family's support and engaging in constructive hobbies such as reading, baking and spending time with my fur baby, Archie, I alleviated the pressure of academics. It is important to balance both academics and your personal life.”
She said her mom's strength, her dad's selflessness, her sister's goal-driven nature, and her boyfriend's intellect and compassion inspired her.
“Their endless support, love, fierce loyalty and dedication to their families, alongside their inspiring qualities help shape me every day.”
Panday career goal is to create confident, inspired, motivated and skill-driven children who value education.
“Through this, children will become functioning citizens who push themselves towards self-actualisation. In the 21st century, children are driven by technology, often losing fundamental practical skills such as problem solving, critical thinking and comprehension skills.
“My aim is to balance technology and practical play-based approaches filled with exploration and creativity. With this combination, pupils will be multifaceted and holistic beings who can adapt within different environments,” she said.