We started by asking Soraya…
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do

Soraya describes herself as a French wāhine living in Papamoa with her Kiwi partner and 18 month old baby girl. She shares “We all enjoy the beach life.” 

Soraya has been in Aotearoa for seven years, and in Tauranga for five of those. She’s been at STEM Wana for three years, where she also took a year off on maternity leave. She works 30 hours a week - so not quite full time but also not quite part time, somewhere in the middle - she would highly recommend it! 

Soraya tells me she loves the mahi she does. She is the Project Manager at STEM Wana, a Charity that runs events and engagement with tamariki and whānau involving STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). She works with the team to deliver workshops, talks, a bi-annual festival - STEMFest, and smaller events and activities for children within the Bay of Plenty region and beyond. The work is very meaningful and has a big impact on the tamariki and community it engages with, she feels she’s living the dream life with her whānau and mahi! 

How do you juggle parenting and work?

Soraya shares that she has been back at work for about six months now, having taken maternity leave. She says the routine still feels fresh to her, but she finds the key to juggling work and home comes down to being organised! She jokes “You have to juggle between being at work and then coming home and starting your second job, or is it your first job?“ 

Soraya’s partner, who works in construction, is also very hands-on. She shares that when her daughter first started daycare she would be constantly catching colds and getting sick. Both her and her partner would tag team in taking time off work to look after her. Soraya says it’s important to her that they have good communication, especially when she’s feeling it and needs some extra help and support. 

As Soraya is from overseas her whānau are in France, she misses having the support and connection with them. She is also aware that her baby girl is also missing out on forming a connection with her grandparents and French heritage and culture, although she is raising her up bilingual. 

That said, Soraya’s partner's mum lives about two hours away, plus they both have close friends who they often rely on for help and support with raising their little one. 

How does coworking help you with your work and parenting?

Soraya admits “I am not the kind of person that likes working from home, so I really enjoy being in an office and getting away from all the house stuff.”  She continues, “When I’m at work - I’m in work mode, when I’m at home, I’m in home mode.” Depending on which location she’s in she is able to fully switch off and focus on what needs to be done. 

Soraya jokes that she enjoys being able to interact with other adults at Basestation. She shares that she enjoys the different people in the coworking environment, as everyone is from a different company, it keeps it interesting. “I feel like I belong, so yeah, it’s nice.” Soraya tells me, smiling. 

What’s the whānau up to this school holiday? 

Although her daughter hasn’t started school yet, Soraya’s parents are over for four weeks visiting and spending as much time with their granddaughter as possible. They are heading off to Wellington for a long weekend. 

Thanks Soraya for sharing a little of what it means to be a working parent and how Basestation has been able to support you!

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