R E S I L I E N C E
QMC WELCOMES MEGAN WILLIAMS TO THE WELLBEING TEAM
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“It’s fantastic that we’re more comfortable talking about mental health and wellbeing, but the scale of these challenges continue to rise amongst our tamariki. That’s something I’ve seen first-hand over the past 16 years.” Queen Margaret College is delighted to welcome Megan Williams to 53 Hobson Street as a psychologist and wellbeing coach. She joins Geneva Atkinson as the college looks to provide further support for students, parents and teachers. Megan has spent the past 16 years with the Ministry of Education and supported schools across the Wellington region. During her tenure, she worked with students as young as three years old right through to school leavers, supporting them with 28 28
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various challenges and helping them move forward in ways that were beneficial to them. Asked about her decision to join our QMC whānau, Megan says she desired less transience in her work and wanted to feel more connected to a community. “I loved my time with the Ministry, but I always felt like a visitor as I moved from school to school. I gained invaluable experience from the breadth of challenges I faced and the individuals I worked with. Now I want to focus on building closer relationships and apply my knowledge to hopefully make a visible impact,” said Megan. The pathway into psychology and working with others was clear from a young age for Megan, who grew up in Shannon before boarding at Whanganui Girls’ College.
“Back then, I remember being able to see the wellbeing and learning challenges of the girls I lived and studied with. Some of my peers had fairly tough lives, and I was drawn to providing support, and I always knew this was something I wanted to do.” “Current public health support is insufficient, and it’s so hard for schools to support students in a way that is proportional to the growing challenges to today. I hope I can make a positive impact at QMC and students feel comfortable coming and talking to me,” she added. Megan started at QMC at the beginning of Term 4 and students are now able to make appointments to see her, or Geneva, using the online booking system on the parent portal.
