Olivia
BA (Hons) Working with Children, Young People and Families
Olivia never intended to go to university.
That was until she attended an Open Day at The University of Bradford with a friend. After the Open Day, it was in fact Olivia who rushed home and applied for the BA (Hons) Working with Children, Young People and Families course the very same day.
This is Olivia’s story.
A bolt from the blue
“I was working as a one-to-one teaching assistant, but I wanted more.”
"I loved my job helping children on a one-to-one basis, but I knew I had more to give; I could make more of an impact on more children.
"Previously I'd worked at a home looking after adults with challenging behaviour, which started my path to wanting to work with people with additional needs.
"A friend of mine had returned from Australia and wanted to get her life back on track. She asked if I'd go with her to an Open Day at The University of Bradford to help her decide which course she should study.
"I wasn't even looking, but I found myself on this great campus, and talking to an amazing team who run this course. I was suddenly really interested.
"As soon as I got home that day, I applied. I started The University of Bradford in September 2017."
Love at first sight
“I fell in love with the course straight away.”
"I was really fortunate to have incredible lecturers and make some lifelong friends at University.
"The best thing about the course for me was the tutors, who all come from such different backgrounds and have this wealth of knowledge that they passed on to us in a way that we could all relate to."
The tutors were all diverse and it made a great learning experience. I found them very inspiring
A life-changing event
“Then I found out I was pregnant with my first child.”
"At the end of my first year, I fell pregnant with my first child. I carried on with my exams and was thrilled to pass the first year. By the time I came back for the second year, I was halfway through my pregnancy with a growing bump.
"Everyone at the University was so supportive. I was due on New Year's Eve, so I decided to just carry on with my lectures right up until Christmas and then give birth.
"It was during the final lecture of the year when I started to feel what I thought might be my first contraction. I was shuffling around in my seat, but I didn't want to leave as it was a guest lecture on child sexual exploitation, and it was so interesting.
"When we got to a break, my tutor Lucy came over and said she'd been watching me and that I should call my midwife. I remember asking her if I could do it once the lecture had finished!
"I travelled to Bradford Royal Infirmary and it was confirmed that I was in early labour. My daughter, Norah May was born three days later."
Determined to finish
"I took my baby with me to University."
"I went back to University in January when Norah was only four or five weeks old. I was breastfeeding so I asked my tutors and coursemates if they'd mind if I brought the baby on campus. They were all so supportive.
"She came with me to lectures for three months. My lecturers would hold her while I took notes and worked on assignments. It was an amazing experience to be able to carry on with my studies whilst rearing a newborn.
"It's one of my proudest achievements."
Full circle
"It was a magical moment to have my two children cheering me on at graduation."
"I graduated after having my second baby, Jasper. It was the best day and I felt so proud to have both my children there and all my family cheering me on.
"I got a job straight after Uni working in a high school as a head of year and lead on pastoral care.
"I'm now planning on doing my Master's in Psychology of Health and Wellbeing at Bradford. I wouldn't go anywhere else!
"My dream is to open up my own social, emotional, and mental health needs (SEMH) centre, which specialises in working with refugee children.
"They've seen so much trauma, so expecting them to go into a mainstream school just isn't feasible sometimes. I want to bridge that gap."
Interested in Working with Children, Young People and Families?
Find out more about our course, requirements, and how to apply.