“I have always wanted a meaningful career where I am able to help others to overcome an illness. Studying a vocational course at St Helens College has made me more career focussed and has provided a direct stepping stone to achieving my chosen career as an Occupational Therapist.”
Classroom
Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care
Career
Psychology at Edge Hill University
Joined us from
St Edmund Arrowsmith (Whiston)
A Helping Hand to the Community
Our inspiring Health and Social Care alumna, Alex, is supporting the community by volunteering her time to help fight the outbreak of COVID-19.
The 21-year-old, who joined us from St Edmund Arrowsmith (Whiston), studied at St Helens College on the Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care, where she had the unique opportunity to take part in our Cadetship Programme. She achieved an outstanding overall grade of D*,D*,D, equivalent to two A*’s and an A, at A level, and is now studying a Psychology degree at Edge Hill University.
During the current outbreak of COVID-19, Alex is putting her knowledge and skills to good use, as she helps out wherever she can by offering her support to crisis lines and has even put forward to volunteer at Whiston Hospital, where she originally completed her Cadetship.
As part of her Cadetship, Alex had access to some incredible opportunities, from working with paediatric outpatients and assisting on the ileostomy ward, to working with dementia patients amongst the Elderly Mental Infirmary unit.
Her experiences very much turned her attention towards health psychology, where Alex was keen to explore a role within occupational and complementary therapy, helping patients through stress and pain management.
Now in her second year at Edge Hill University, Alex has been exposed to career opportunities within the health sector, and is keen to explore all avenues, as she continues her search for a meaningful career that enables her to help others overcome illness.
Speaking to Alex about her time at university so far, she explained, “I just want to be at university forever, I love it so much! My lecturers were very impressed with the work that I had done prior to starting the degree, and the placement hours I undertook have certainly given me a unique difference from my peers. This will be an amazing help when applying for graduate jobs or further study, which I am really considering.”
She continued, “So far on my degree, I have aced my recent exam in cognitive and biological psychology, thanks to the anatomy and physiology module I studied at St Helens College. I am looking forward to moving on to personality and developmental psychology next, which I am already familiar with after researching these childhood theorists during my level 3 course.”
Alex is a shining example of how a level 3 vocational course can propel your journey to university, as she said, “I honestly thought that I needed to have studied A levels, in order to become a Chartered Health or Clinical Psychologist but this career goal seems more in reach every day. I now know that my placement and practical experience will strongly support my application to a specialist clinical psychology PHD once I complete my degree.”
Looking for a meaningful career in the Health and Social Care industry? Follow in Alex’s footsteps and begin your journey at St Helens College. For more information on our Health and Social Care courses, click here.
