Education

Having been part of the British education system since the age of 5 and still part of it now I have been in education most of my life so far and I feel it is only right that I talk about how my education has shaped me and how it has influenced my decision making in everything I do. I will briefly talk about my Secondary Education and Post 16 however, I have chosen not to  bore you with a list of all my results and an essay about what subjects I liked and disliked. I’ve made the decision to tell you about what I learnt in context of my personal growth  and how each of my formal educations influenced my development.

This is my secondary school, ‘St Francis of Assisi Catholic Technology College’. It was here I grew and followed the mission statement “Nil Satis Optimum” which is Latin for “Only the Best is Enough”. Going to a Catholic School and being part of a faith community, there was high expectations placed on ourselves and on others.

I wouldn’t regard my self as a religious person even with attending a faith school however, I would say my life has definitely been enriched by the presence of religion and instead I carry extremely high expectations of my self based on the schools mission statement and expect nothing less than my best. I take great pride in all that I do and feel that attending St Francis’ is responsible for instilling such  strong beliefs and morals in me.

While there I was made aware of the religious values that underpin Christianity that definitely have a strong presence within the school like respect and love however, the school also promoted fundamental British Values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. I proactively follow and carry these values with me and am thankful for the secondary education I received.

-While attending St Francis’ I achieved my Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh Awards as well as my Bronze National Navigational Award. I go into more detail about this on my ‘Duke Of Edinburgh Page’  if you would like to read about this just follow the link in blue or alternatively it can be found on the drop down menu under the ‘Experience’ page.

_________________________________________________

From Secondary School I chose to continue my A levels in a new environment, this being at ‘Landau Forte Sixth Form Academy’. Here I studied; A Level Art, English Literature and Language, Sociology as well as AS History. I feel the decision to do my A Levels in a new environment was an extremely important step in my personal development and allowed me to become a more rounded individuals. In Sixth form I became a confident person which is something I always struggled with at St Francis’. I found myself and developed a love of travelling and a sense of independence.

My new found confidence for travelling  came about after I went around Europe. On this trip I saw London (Camden), Paris, Belgium and Amsterdam among other culturally rich places. After this the following year I traveled and spent a fortnight in Morocco. Here I took part in something called ‘World Challenge’ which involved a great deal of elements to it which I shall go into more detail about on my  ‘World Challenge’ if you would like to read about this just follow the link in blue or alternatively it can be found on the drop down menu under the ‘Experience’ page.

_________________________________________________

I now attend the University of Derby and am in my second year of study. Choosing to go to University has been one of the best decisions I have made in my life and I am so grateful for all I have learnt and all the opportunities that have come my way while studying here.

Not only do I have University to thank for all I am learning academically with regards to my course and what it will do to help me achieve in the terms of my aspiring career, I am also thankful for what practical skills it has taught me. I have gained so much self confidence and learnt many valuable skills that have helped me grow into a well rounded individual.

However, thinking about how amazing university has been for me I find it hard to believe that I very nearly didn’t go to university. This was due to the fact I had very little idea as to what I should study and university had always been something I never wanted to do on a whim. It wasn’t until about a week before my UCAS had to be submitted when the idea of becoming an art therapist came to me after I was watching television and there was an art therapist being interviewed. That moment was definitely a light bulb moment and something that has set me on a path that I am on now and love.