When Kerry White reflects on her life’s journey, she sees a story shaped by resilience, family, and a calling to help others. Today, as a Trainer and Assessor with ICAN Learn, Kerry teaches the Diploma of Financial Counselling—but her path to this role was anything but straightforward.
Finding Purpose Through Family
Kerry’s introduction to financial counselling came during her teenage years. When her father passed away, her mother was left with $10,000 in debt. Kerry’s uncle, who was among the earliest financial counsellors in South Australia, stepped in to help. “Dad died when I was 17. Left mum in about 10 grand of debt and my uncle who was a financial counsellor… helped my mum, so got all the debt waived except for one. And Mum used to go in with her $5 in five cent pieces to make the bank count it,” Kerry recalls.
Years later, working at Lutheran Care in Adelaide, Kerry was inspired once again. “I was working… as a receptionist – bored – looking around going, what can I do? I saw the financial counsellors in the office and thought, I could do that. And only after realising my uncle Tony was a financial counsellor… it’s like I’ve travelled full circle; he helped mum and now I get to help other people.”
A Career in Financial Counselling
Kerry went on to complete her Diploma of Financial Counselling in 2009 and spent more than a decade working with Lutheran Care and later Know More. Her career took her into prisons, remote communities, and the lives of people navigating complex hardships. “I’ve done a lot of prison work… it’s giving them some advice and options for when they get released. It shows them that someone is actually caring and listening.”
She witnessed both heartbreaking and inspiring stories—clients who struggled with redress payments, financial abuse, or gambling, but also those who used funds to make meaningful changes. Kerry recalls one woman whom received a National Redress Payment, and after a stroke, bought herself and another survivor a tipping kettle. “She said ‘I put my money to good.’ That has always stayed with me – the tipping kettle lady.“
Sharing Knowledge as a Teacher
By 2020, Kerry decided to transition into education, driven by a desire to pass on her knowledge and support the next generation of financial counsellors. “I just like sharing what I know—making people feel more confident in what they’re doing, so they’re not just reading a manual and having to follow a script. They’re actually getting some information that will make them more confident. So when they step into that office with a client, they’ve got some idea of what they can do.”
Since joining ICAN Learn in January 2025, Kerry has seen her students grow before her eyes. “One class, a few of them came in with not much knowledge at all… and you can just see the clocks ticking. They’re getting that this job is not just about finances; it’s also about working with diversity and those in financial distress.”
For Kerry, the difference at ICAN Learn is clear: “What I see the most is the student support that they get. So the meetings, when things aren’t going well, we are checking in with them and seeing what support can be given. I haven’t seen that done as well in other RTOs.”
From Elizabeth to ICAN Learn
Looking back, Kerry takes pride in how far she has come. “I’m an original Elizabeth girl, which is the highest poverty area in South Australia and the people are often looked down on. I just think, look where I am now. I’m a justice of the peace. I’ve been on many committees, and the SAFCA board. I now teach financial counselling. Not bad for a girl from Elizabeth.”
Her journey—as a daughter, mother, financial counsellor, and now teacher—continues to inspire those around her. And for the students lucky enough to sit in her classes, Kerry brings not just knowledge, but lived experience, compassion, and hope.
