Saying goodbye to Sherein

We are sad to say goodbye to our Lower North Island Delivery lead Sherein, and as per tradition we have a blog spot to say farewell!

6 Months with SADD - one of the best jobs 

When I first started at SADD I was very green on road safety but was so happy with the role as Programme Delivery Lead as it matched really well with my skills. Coming from a mixed background in design and teaching (working with young adults and skill management), the role was a good challenge to continue to develop further, and use my networking skills too.

I think one of the coolest things in my role is it that doesn’t feel like work when it’s doing something you are passionate about. Though I’m leaving SADD a lot earlier than I had planned due to health reasons, it hands down has been one of the best jobs I have ever had.

Here are my top 4 reasons for why I think my role rocks:

1. The SADD team 

Besides the fact I get to wear a t-shirt and hoodie if I’m representing SADD/Kaitiati o Ara, the team is unlike any team I have worked with before. All of them are super friendly, passionate, and really care about youth and our communities with road safety. They have awesome attitudes and knowledge. They have a fun casual side, with a work-hard approach still. We had many laughs over Google chat, and they are super resourceful. It’s amazing how such a small team creates so much.

2. Working with youth

I’m a big kid at heart, like I collect lego still, and I think it’s fair to say I don’t act my age most of the time. Working with young adults in my last job for 12 years was a natural fit and it was great to grow further and work with teens as development. It's been a lot of fun with passionate young people who are confident, creative, and really want to make a difference in their schools and communities. I strongly believe young people can make a real difference in their communities and the world, and the platforms they have to gain wider reach these days makes it that bit easier.

3. Travel

Having a job that isn’t all about sitting in front of a computer can be a healthy thing. Last year I got a chance to visit 4 of the regions I look after and met a number of community partners - Police, Road Safety Coordinators, etc. As well as some students and our SADD national leaders.

At one of my meetings we were having a coffee, by the end of it we ended up going on board a yacht the person owned, which was a pretty great way to finish the day!

4. Projects and networking

Working with a range of road safety experts and helping people connect is one of the highlights for me personally. Getting to help a project with FENZ (Fire and Emergency NZ) was one project that took a bit of planning. This term I did a string of online workshops for my regions and it was a great way to connect students with community partners, and made the interactive workshops more fun and informative with having them all in the one space. 

I’m sure there are a lot more reasons why the job rocks. As I finish up at SADD I want to thank all the schools, community partners and the SADD team for all they do around road safety and working with young people. 

Stay safe!
Sherein

All the best Sherein, thanks for all your work, ka kite ano!

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FENZ workshop recap

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Road Safety Week 2022 - Who is your Road Safety Hero?