Ebony was a pupil at John Kyrle High School before enrolling on a childcare course at Herefordshire College.
Ebony has just begun the second year of her Primary Teaching degree at the University of Worcester, and has a network of friends around her as she builds her skills and prepares for her future career.
But Ebony has come a long way since Year 11.
“When I was looking at where to go after school, I looked around a few different options in my local area,” said Ebony. “When I got to Herefordshire College, it just felt right. It was the perfect sized campus, everyone I met was really nice, everyone was happy to talk to me and everyone was really happy.”
She added: “It just felt perfect.”
Ebony was studying for her Early Years level 3 qualification, having decided as a young child that she wanted to work with small children in school.
She said “I really enjoyed my course. It was a big boost in my confidence because I was very shy, so nobody thought I’d take the leap to go to a college away from my hometown of Ross-on-Wye but I did it.
“I was worried that I would struggle to make friends, but when I got there everyone was in the same situation and it was easier to make friends than I thought it was going to be. The college put on icebreakers in the first few sessions to learn about each other, and it was then that I met my best friend.”
For Ebony, having support throughout her studies was invaluable, and was a big part of helping her see that moving out of home and coming to university was well within her reach.
“I had the same tutor for the two years I was there, and if I had any problems, personal or academic, she was so good at helping me and supporting me if I was struggling,” she said.
“After college, it was a very big deal for me to come to university. I’m the first in my family to go to university, so it was a big deal for my family. I never thought I’d do it, but at college I learned I can do this, I can adapt, I can help myself, and I did it… and I’ve loved it!”
Ebony has a lot of hard work ahead of her with her degree, but she’s well on track to make it into her dream career as a teacher in an early years’ setting.
“I’m really enjoying my course. I like the placements because you can put your learning straight into practice and so the learning never stops. I did a six-week placement last year, but I learned so much in those six weeks.”
Ebony added: “I didn’t want to leave my placement because they were all so kind and welcoming, and made me feel like part of the team. The kids were so lovely as well, they didn’t want me to leave so it was a hard placement to finish!”
