Massey University graduation: Ruth Jackson - from student adviser to postgraduate scholar

Former Massey University staff member Ruth Jackson graduated with a Master of Communication last week. “Believe in yourself, make a plan and keep going until you get there.” Photo / Massey University

Former Massey University staff member Ruth Jackson has graduated with a Master of Communication, after deciding to challenge herself with postgraduate study.

After struggling through her undergraduate degree in science and not achieving in the way she would have liked, 46-year-old Jackson always felt like she had something to prove to herself. Last week she did just that, when she walked across the stage to graduate with distinction at a ceremony in Palmerston North.

She used to work for Massey advising students on how to be more successful. This work was the impetus for Jackson to pursue postgraduate study and prove to herself that she too could be more successful with tertiary study.

She enrolled in the Master of Communication in 2020 and found that postgraduate study was a far more enjoyable experience.

“I’ve really enjoyed returning to study. Postgraduate study gave me more opportunity to choose my own topics and I loved finding out more about issues that interest me,” she said.

Returning to study later in life wasn’t without its challenges, however. Managing study around work and family life was a juggling act, but she was lucky to have great support from her family.

“My mum is super supportive with childcare and proofread all of my assignments. I also had a very loyal study buddy – my dog Flash.”

Something else Jackson learned while studying was how important rest is.

“It’s a really important part of the study process. Sometimes it was just as important to meditate, or walk the dog or have a sleep in as it was to force myself to sit at the computer and write.”

Jackson began working at Massey in 2012 as a student success adviser on the Manawatū campus. After taking maternity leave for a couple of years, she returned in 2016 on fixed-term contracts in ākonga Māori success and community engagement roles, later working for Student Enterprise and the Children’s University Programme.

From February this year, she has been studying fulltime towards a PhD. Her doctoral research is on inclusive enterprise, for which she received a scholarship through Massey’s School of Management.

“I am looking at how unconventional entrepreneurs balance serving their communities with running a profitable business. I chose this area as it builds on the work I was doing in enterprise and my interest in marginalised communities.”

Her return to study has made her realise she’s capable of more than she thought, that organisation and persistence are more important than being clever, and that following what she loves is the way that works for her.

Jackson’s wife Marolyn also works for the university. They have two children, aged 14 and 9. She says she would advise those thinking about studying to plan how it will fit into their lives before they start, then take the leap and give it all they’ve got.