Everything she fought for: Amanda’s story

By Lucy Green, CCS Disability Action.

It did not feel real until she sat back down. Amanda Stewart had walked across the stage, shaken the right hands, and returned to her seat. Then she looked at the piece of paper in her hands and saw her own name on it.

"That moment meant everything," she says.

The date was 16 April 2026. The degree was a Bachelor of Teaching, majoring in Early Childhood Education. Amanda had begun the journey at the University of Waikato in July 2016, through the Certificate of University Preparation. Almost ten years lay between the start and that seat in the graduation hall.

"When I first started, I never truly believed I would be able to complete it," she says.

"I now know that I am resilient, determined, and capable of doing hard things."

Amanda lives in the Waikato, flatting with her partner. CCS Disability Action has walked alongside her since 2010. Over those years the support has changed shape as her life has changed.

Today it involves day-to-day support at home and in the community: some weeks groceries and errands, other weeks a trip to the hairdresser. The support bends to suit her, not the other way around.

Amanda's Support Worker, Lyn, known to everyone as Buffy, has worked with CCS Disability Action for about 15 years, and has been alongside Amanda for more than 13 of them.

"My job has been to support Amanda to make her own decisions, and to encourage her to reach her full potential," Lyn says.

“She has matured into an amazing young independent woman. I have no doubt she will achieve exactly what she sets her mind to. I am so very proud of her, and grateful to be a part of her growth."

None of the past decade was easy.

"I faced ongoing health challenges, attitudinal barriers, I had to find the right equipment to support my vision impairment, and there were times I felt overwhelmed, exhausted, and unsure if I would ever make it to the end," Amanda explains.

Supportive lecturers, fellow students who are now kaiako themselves, and student and accessibility support teams at the University of Waikato "worked alongside me every step of the way. They helped me understand what was required, kept me on track, and made sure I had everything I needed to succeed."

Lyn and home were with her through it all.

"Mum, Malcolm, Jenni, Rowena, Lyn and so many other wonderful family members and friends who were always there to listen, calm me down, and support me in so many different ways," she says.

"I truly could not have done this without every single one of you."

"From face-to-face classrooms and lecture halls to lockdowns and Zoom classes, and back again, this journey has shaped me in ways I will never forget," she says.

"I have come so far and grown so much."

Now Amanda is starting voluntary work at Te Whare Poi Poi, CCS Disability Action's respite home in Waikato, to build her knowledge and experience as she moves into the early childhood sector. She hopes to become a Play Specialist at the Hospital, supporting children the way she was supported when she was young.

"I want to work with tamariki and their whānau, especially those navigating disabilities and health conditions," she says.

"I want to use my lived experience to advocate for them, to stand alongside them, and to help create the very best outcomes and opportunities for their futures."

"This is more than just a degree," Amanda says, "this is everything I fought for."

You too can support this mahi by donating to the Fund for CCS Disability Action Waikato, just visit momentumwaikato.nz/ccsdisabilityactionwaikato.