Annie Boyd graduated with a degree in International Development and Political Science in 2020, just in time to see borders around the globe slam shut due to the pandemic.

It made the “international” part of International Development impossible to pursue, so she pivoted into teaching. It was, she says, the best move she could have made.

Jacob Reeves completed an honours degree in Molecular Bioscience at Flinders before realising that it might be more rewarding to share his love of science with young people than to spend his days in a lab.

Jacob, like Annie, fast-tracked his Masters of Education to finish in 18 months and, couldn’t be more happy that he did.

Both young teachers will spend next year working in the regions – Annie in Port Pirie and Jacob in Mount Gambier – and both have taken advantage of State Government incentives on offer to encourage graduates to think beyond the metropolitan area.

Annie says that, initially, she was resistant to the idea of pursuing teaching as a profession.

“A lot of kids I went to school with did teaching and I always said, ‘no, I’m going to go down a different path’ and I fought it a bit,” she says.

“But when I started my teaching degree, I knew that’s exactly where I wanted to be. It’s hard to put into words, but it just really felt right.

"And as soon as I got into a classroom, I knew this was definitely for me and I’ve loved it ever since.”

Annie will now teach at John Pirie Secondary School in 2024, which she admits wasn’t her initial choice due to the regional city's distinct lack of surf.

“When I first applied for a professional experience placement through the country scholarship program I requested the Yorke Peninsula – I desperately wanted to go to a little surf town and live by the coast,” she says.

“So, when I got Port Pirie – to be totally honest – my first thought was ‘oh, there are no waves there’. So, I had to re-evaluate.”

However, Annie says that as soon as she started the placement at John Pirie earlier this year, she knew that she was going to feel right at home in the Iron Triangle town.

“I just fell in love with the place – I made such good friends and the people were so welcoming,” she says.

“I think that’s what made the difference. I just felt so welcomed and valued.”

Annie says John Pirie was a big enough school to provide all the experience she’ll need if she returns to metro teaching, with just the right amount of regional friendliness.

“It’s still a big school, and a complex site with a lot of cultural diversity,” she says.

“So, I’m still getting all of that experience but in a small town. It’s an incredible intersection of rural, regional and metro. It ticks so many boxes, and it is genuinely so exciting.”

Jacob, 25, says when he was in high school he did some work experience teaching, but it didn't immediately call to him to pursue it as a career.

It was only after he completed his science degree did he think that maybe his future lay in the classroom.

“I did my undergrad and realised that I didn’t want to be stuck in a lab all day and that it would be great to get kids into science,” he says.

Already teaching at Grant High School in Mount Gambier, Jacob (pictured) says he definitely feels like it’s the right fit for him.

“I’m loving it,” he says.

“I’m settling in well and feel like I’m getting a handle on things. And I really like Mount Gambier as a town, there’s so much to do in the wider community.”

Both Jacob and Annie say that they would strongly encourage young graduates to consider teaching in the regions, both for the professional and personal experience and because of the many generous incentives on offer through State Government programs.

Those offers include the Teach First in Country program, launched in 2023, through which 80 positions are being offered with successful applicants to start working in a country school or preschool in 2024 and 2025.

For the first five weeks of Term One the new teachers will be joined in the classroom by an expert teacher to help them settle in, and each new teacher will also receive $20,000 to help them get set up in the country or to pay off their HECS-HELP debt.

Other incentives on offer include the newly expanded Country Housing Service which aims to deliver practical support to assist teachers move into suitable housing and adjust seamlessly into their new communities, an ongoing annual allowance of between $1989 and $10,023 – dependent on location – for all teachers in regional areas, and a scholarship program for graduates who move to the country.

There’s also the scholarship program, for those still studying teaching, that started Annie and Jacob’s country adventure which covers accommodation, travel and living expenses during a professional experience placement in country.

Pre-service teachers can also join a two-day regional tour, run by the Department, to meet with staff at multiple schools and preschools, along with a sight-seeing tour to discover what the region has to offer before committing to a teaching placement or work in the region.

For more information on the opportunities available visit: Country opportunities for pre-service teachers.