Elizabeth Poey was, in her own words, “every teacher’s nightmare”. Yet she chose to put herself in that vulnerable position of being a teacher. Fortunately for her, her 36 years in the education service were not nightmarish. In fact her experiences during this time, from being a student teacher to being a teacher, then a vice-principal, and later a principal, gave her lots of treasured memories. Ok, some of the events might have been embarrassing or ego-deflating, but they form treasured memories all the same, and they are recounted in her jolly style in her autobiography This Is I Elizabeth…But Who Cares!
This fun-loving, adventurous woman (trekking and mountain climbing are her hobbies) found out in 2008 that she had stage III rectal cancer. In no way did she let this bad news devastate her. Instead, she was spurred on to write about her life experiences, though what really made her complete her book was the recurrence of the cancer last year. She finished it before undergoing an extensive operation in August.
Goducate is grateful that Elizabeth Poey has decided to use the bulk of the proceeds from the sale of her book to sponsor Goducate projects. Her efforts to do something for people who have no easy access to education started before Goducate came into existence. When Elizabeth Poey was principal of Naval Base Primary School, she accepted students with special needs. The first was a student with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). By the time she left the school, it had “every alphabet of special needs kids”—ASD, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), DS (Down’s Syndrome), ESN (Educationally Subnormals)—as well as those with physical handicaps and those with dyslexia and dyscalculia.
Her experiences as a cancer patient have given her a new focus for her energies, which remain undampened. Blessed with having good friends around her while she underwent treatment for her cancer, she noticed that many cancer patients sit through chemotherapy alone or with reluctant family members. Her wish is for a companion service for patients. She would also like corporate sponsorship for financial and social support for cancer patients.
Elizabeth Poey is obviously someone who does care for and think about those less privileged than her. Her generous support will go a long way towards helping needy Asians help themselves.