FULFILLING A LIFELONG DREAM

Last month, a ceremony in the grand gothic setting of Chester Cathedral cast light, colour and joy onto an unseasonably dry day in a cool grey autumn, as it celebrated the graduations of students from University Centre Reaseheath, a land-based college based on the outskirts of the market town of Nantwich in Cheshire.

Among their number was Ellie Nancarrow, from Northwich, who claimed her first class honours degree in Veterinary Nursing, completing a path she had started on a few years ago when she'd decided to enrol onto an Access to Higher Education course at the college.

Back in her teens, Ellie had studied at college, but had "absolutely hated it" and had ended up dropping most of her subjects. She'd then spent more than a year working full-time in customer service, but at twenty years old she'd come to start thinking seriously about what she wanted to do with her life.

"I thought back to my childhood dreams of working with animals," she recalls. "But I knew I didn't have the right qualifications or experience."

It was then that she discovered Reaseheath's land-based Access to Higher Education course. 

"I was pleased to be accepted, but I didn't know what to expect," she says. "The teachers were really supportive and informative – and were all specialists in their subjects. Everyone knew exactly what they were doing.

"And we got to try lots of different things – that was one of the main attractions of the course – working with farm animals, some horticulture and landscaping, equine work and animal welfare, even diet and nutrition. I got to do so many things I'd never done before. It was great fun."

Ellie started her degree programme in Veterinary Nursing the September after she finished her Access to HE course.

"I never thought I'd get to do that," she says. "I'd never thought I was smart enough to study Veterinary Nursing. So, I was ecstatic when I was accepted onto the degree course. It was the best day ever."

Having developed valuable professional contacts through the work placements she'd  completed as part of her studies, she was offered her first job in May, and was fully registered as a veterinary nurse in August. She's clearly relishing her new career.

"I'm loving it," she smiles. "It's great!"