Taupo-nui-a-Tia College

Support for Japanese Students

Fees international students 2024

Our support team for Japanese Students

Taupo-nui-a-Tia College finds it important to offer support in the home language of our students. Our Director of International students has formed a team to support our Japanese students in the pastoral care. Please find here the profiles of Hiromi Saito, our Japanese advisor and Yuky Dawson, who will be available for counselling in case our students need it.

斉藤ひろみ 日本担当アドバイザー

日本の大学を卒業後、人材開発・企業内教育を専門とする会社に入社。仕事を通して顧客のニーズに応えることの大切さと喜びを学びました。ニュージーランドでは旅行業や語学学校での事務や実務に携わり、この国の地理や歴史、そして文化や人々に対する知識を深めることができたと思っています。

Kiwi（NZ人）の懐の深い暖かさと自然の美しさ、リラックスしたライフスタイルに魅了され、この国に住み始めてから約２５年経ちます。そのほとんどの時間をここタウポエリアで過ごしてきました。

長きに渡り「人」と関わる仕事に従事してきた経験を活かし、日本人留学生の皆さんとご家族の皆様、エージェント様が常に安心できるようなサポートを心掛けたいと思っています。また異文化環境で暮らすことの楽しさや難しさを身をもって経験している立場から、学生さんたちがリラックスし自信をもって日常生活を過ごし、日本では出来ないたくさんの新しいことにチャレンジできるようお手伝いさせていただきたいと思っています。

タウポ・ヌイ・ア・ティア・カレッジで皆様をお迎えする日を楽しみにお待ちしております。

Hiromi Saito Japanese advisor

After graduating a university, I worked for a human resource development company in Tokyo. Through the work, I learned how to deal with various people, and I found myself feeling rewarded when I could meet the client’s needs.

Since I left Japan, I have been working in the travel & hospitality industry and education sectors in New Zealand. I am convinced that it helped me gain extensive and deep knowledge about the culture and people of this country.

Impressed by the pristine landscapes and friendliness of the local people, it did not take long for me to fall in love with this country. It has been over 25 years since I first landed in Aotearoa, and I spent most of my time here in the Taupo region. I believe the beautiful nature and kind-hearted Kiwis made me call New Zealand home.

My goal as a Japanese advisor is to support Japanese Students, their families, and the agents to make them feel rest assured at all times. As I experienced myself, I know how difficult adjusting and enjoy ourselves in a different culture. So, I will support the students in feeling relaxed and confident and encourage them to try as many new challenges as possible while they study in New Zealand. I am looking forward to welcoming you to Taupo-nui-a-Tia- College in near future.

Yuki Dawson Japanese counsellor

My name is Yukie Dawson. I am a mother of three grown-up children and a grandmother of two grandchildren. I am also a former owner of an English language school in Japan and the founder and former owner of the restaurant, Kissa-Kai, in Taupo.

I have been living in New Zealand since 1997. I worked at the Taupo Language & Outdoor Education Centre as a Japanese Student Counsellor from 1999 until it closed in 2018. As a Japanese Student Counsellor, my responsibilities included making sure the students understood their rights and responsibilities, the school and homestay rules, and the importance of having fun and experiencing a new culture in a positive and healthy way. I made myself available 24/7 for the students, their families in Japan and homestay families in New Zealand. I took students to see doctors whenever they had health problems, I helped students overcome homesickness and I acted as a mediator between the students and homestay families / the school to resolve any cultural/language misunderstandings. I also negotiated with difficult teenagers over attendance, smoking and general disobedience, and helped them through the court/police process to make sure that they understood what was happening in every step of the process and that they were heard.

I believe that my multi-cultural background and experience have given me the necessary skills to appreciate the need for cultural sensitivity and to effectively communicate with students, their families and the school to resolve any issues. I also have a genuine passion for raising, educating and assisting children – I have been doing this all my life. I am very happy to help the students and your school.