BTI Staff Member Becomes BTI Social Work Student

BTI’s Bachelor of Social Work degree is being offered for the first time in 2012 and the unique program has enticed a staff-member to enrol in the programme. Jenny Kyle resigned from staff at BTI at Christmas time after feeling personally compelled by the social work degree to enrol as a full-time student.  Jenny says, “I’d been working at BTI for about 18months in the role of Executive Administrator so I’d heard about the degree in the early planning stages and something about it just really sparked my interest.”

Jenny is in a qualified position to give us the inside story of BTI as she is well-familiar with both the staff and the structure of learning at the institute. Her experience working at BTI has given her confidence to embark on study, saying “BTI is the only place that I would consider studying this and they don’t pay me to say that just because I worked there either! I know the place, I know the personal investment that those lecturers put into making the best possible teachers, counsellors and social workers that they possibly can…I know their heart for what they’re doing and that obviously draws me to studying there.”

The chance to study social work for a Christian perspective is another strong draw-card for Jenny, prompting her to say, “What an amazing opportunity ... what an amazing blessing it is to be able to study from a Christian perspective- to see God’s heart. I really want to learn more about God’s heart for justice and truth. So for me, studying from that perspective is really important.”

 Life experience certainly helps when it comes to studying and working as a social worker – and is something Jenny is grateful to have up her sleeve. She says “I had considered studying social work when I did my first round of tertiary study back in my early 20’s but I just don’t really feel like I would have been ready for it.”

There is a strong sense of God’s timing as she embarks on this new career path now.  Jenny comments, “Now that I know more about who I am, I know more about God and his character. I think all of that will make me able to make that financial investment and investment of time.  God’s really taken me on a journey – slowly unravelled more of who I am and I think I am in a better position now to take that step and change direction quite radically...”

 Looking ahead to her future, Jenny has a few formative ideas about what direction she would like to take after graduating.  “One area that my heart really jumps is the area of international aid – and I would like to get more involved in that… I’m not sure what capacity that will be but we will see what happens!” 

There are still some places left in the Social Work degree programme at BTI, so please contact Joanne Barnes if you are interested on j.barnes@bti.ac.nz.
For more information about the BTI Social Work programme CLICK HERE.