Having been forced to miss out on A Levels and put her education on hold for almost three years through illness, Isobel Orton was facing up to the reality of missing out on her lifelong dream of studying veterinary science.
But the discovery of Northampton College’s Access to HE programme, coupled with the realisation that not all universities require a traditional A Level qualification, rekindled the 21-year-old’s desire to pursue her passion.
A year on and Isobel is now preparing for a new life at the University of Nottingham, where she will start on a six-year degree course to qualify as a vet.
She said: “I’d got to a point where I had moved on from doing what I always wanted to do due to my illness but when I heard about the fast-track programme available at Northampton College it reignited my interest. I have always wanted to be a vet - I even got a stethoscope and a veterinary manual for my 10th birthday – and now I have a chance to live my dream.
“The course has literally changed my life. Having been out of education for so long I was nervous about what to expect but because the course is aimed at people aged 19 and over who are coming back to education everyone has the same mindset, the same mentality and we all help each other to achieve our goals and get where we need to be.
“The staff have been great and gone the extra mile to help with things such as interview preparation and making sure I was able to get the extra credits I needed. It’s restored my confidence and given me a new opportunity.
“I would definitely recommend the Access course to anyone looking to get back into education or pursue a career change. If you do your research and work out what you need to do to reach your destination, Northampton College can help get you there.”
