Inspirational student Lucie Jenkins’s remarkable story is a tale of overcoming the numerous barriers life has put in front of her.
But each and every time, she has fought what she has faced, and is now set for the next chapter in her life, which will open up a pathway to her dream career.
Mum-of-two Lucie, aged 35, was diagnosed with pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder as a teenager, which meant she spent time in and out of hospitals because she was suffering with a range of physical and psychological conditions. After her diagnosis, she received a variety of treatments, but each of them failed, resulting in her ultimately having a hysterectomy in 2017, which put her into an early life menopause but completely cured her condition.
Lucie, whose children are now 16 and 11, was able to give more thought and focus to what she wanted to do with her life. She had left school without any qualifications, but now that her symptoms had disappeared, she felt she could “get on with life.” She took a job as a teaching assistant after taking a course at City College Plymouth. However, a career in teaching lacked appeal for Lucie, so she looked into the College’s Access To Higher Education courses.
She had developed a passion for counselling, in particular wanting to help children and young people, so took a one-year Access To Counselling course. She said: “The course, lecturers and College overall have been absolutely brilliant – it really has helped me change my life for the better. I could fit the course around what is already a very busy lifestyle with two children to look after, meaning I could work part-time and do the course two days a week, which was fantastic.”
Having completed the course, Lucie is now looking forward to beginning a four-year Counselling and Psychotherapy Integrated Masters degree at Plymouth Marjon University. Lucie describes herself as a “big fan” of the Access courses. “Everyone has just been so supportive, and I was able to begin building my confidence after a hellish few years,” she said. “After being so unwell, I was able to learn new skills and study, which I just hadn’t been able to do because I had missed out at school. I had two fantastic tutors who gave me so much encouragement – I really can’t praise them highly enough.”
City College Plymouth’s Access courses are designed specifically for adults looking to return to education, and are built so people can balance their home and work life with their studies. They put you in a great place to study for a university level qualification and are recognised by the majority of UK universities and colleges.
Click here to find out more about our access courses.
