When people think of Finance, they picture numbers, spreadsheets and deadlines. Emma, however, sees something else entirely. She sees the families behind the fees, the parents behind every fee enquiry, and ultimately, the children who benefit when everything quietly falls into place.
As an Accounts Executive at Star Learners, Emma spends her days reviewing payments, reconciling accounts and ensuring families receive the preschool subsidies they’re entitled to. It is work that demands precision, patience and an eye for detail.
Yet, ask her what gives her the greatest sense of purpose, and her answer has little to do with numbers.
“Helping families.”
It’s a simple response, but one that makes perfect sense once you understand where her journey began.
A decade of being Yin Laoshi
For almost ten years, Emma was a preschool educator at Star Learners. She celebrated first words, wiped away tears, and watched children grow from tentative little learners into confident young individuals. At the peak of her teaching career, her dedication earned her national recognition with the Outstanding Preschool Mother Tongue Language Teacher Award.
However, when she reflects on those years today, she doesn’t talk about awards or titles. Instead, she remembers the former students who return years later, ringing the centre’s doorbell just to say, “尹老师, 我回来看您了!” (“Teacher Yin, I came back to see you!”)
For Emma, those unexpected visits mean more than any award ever could.
“Children may forget the lessons we teach,” she says. “But they’ll never forget the warmth we gave them.”
From counting cake slices to counting money
After becoming a mother herself, Emma began to notice a quiet shift. Each day, she poured her heart into caring for the children in her class. But by the time she returned home, she sometimes found she had little energy left for her own son.
Leaving her life behind as Yin Laoshi was not an easy decision. She had enjoyed teaching so much and though she knew she had to prioritise her child, saying goodbye to the children seemed like a wrong step to take. “That was until I realised I could continue supporting children in a different way,” she shares.
So when an opportunity opened up within the Finance team, Emma decided to take a leap into unfamiliar territory. The decision was equal parts exciting and intimidating. “My biggest worry?” she laughs. “Getting the numbers wrong! I used to count slices of birthday cake. Now I’m responsible for counting money!”
Fortunately, Emma never had to navigate the transition alone. Her new teammates patiently shared their knowledge, walked her through new processes and reminded her that asking questions wasn’t a weakness but simply a part of learning.
Behind Every “Yes”
As Emma settled into her new role, another realisation slowly emerged. It came through something surprisingly ordinary. A parent wanted to add another family member to a school excursion. Back in the classroom, Emma would have thought, ‘Yes, of course’.
Today, she knows that one seemingly simple request sets an entire chain of work in motion – reopening spreadsheets, recalculating fees, updating records and carefully checking every figure before that “yes” can become a reality. “I never realised before just how much detail and coordination go into supporting our centres,” she admits.
The experience gave her a whole new appreciation for the many teams working quietly behind the scenes to support educators, centres and families alike. More importantly, it helped her see how her own work connects back to the children and families she has always cared so deeply about.
Every payment processed is one less administrative worry for a parent. Every subsidy successfully secured helps ensure a family gets the support they need. And every issue resolved gives a centre more time to focus on what matters most – the children.
“When parents have peace of mind, they can focus fully on supporting their children,” Emma says. “In that way, we’re supporting the children too.”
“If you’re a gem, you’ll shine wherever you are.”
Shining in More Ways Than One
Today, Emma no longer begins her mornings welcoming children through the school gates. Instead, she begins by ensuring the systems supporting those children continue to run smoothly.
A year ago, a colleague told Emma, “If you’re a gem, you’ll shine wherever you are.”
Looking back, she realises those words were never just about changing careers. They were about carrying the same heart into every role she takes on. After all, what Emma has always counted most was never the numbers, but the families they represent.
