What job/study are you doing right now and tell us a little about it?
Currently working part time as a health care assistant and also studying a BSC Psychology degree. In May, I am leaving the UK and moving to Australia for 2 years to go travelling and gain relative work experience abroad in a mental hospital in Melbourne, which I am really excited for.
Did you do any further/higher education?
A levels (Psychology, History, Law & Business) currently studying psychology at University of Derby.
How did you decide on your career path and what is/was most interesting about your work?
I always enjoyed Psychology as an Alevel as I found it extremely interesting, so I knew I wanted to study Psychology further. Then when I started working as a health care assistant, I realised I loved meeting people with different mental health problems and loved making them feel better and helping them with their recovery, as I got experience working with people who suffered from schizophrenia, bipolar and depression.
Can you share a couple of fond memories of your time at St Cuthbert's?
I absolutely loved school and look back on it with very fond memories, but I specifically loved going on the Germany exchange trip in 2010 where I got to meet lots of new people and got closer to a lot of new people. I also loved being part of the performing arts club and countless alton towers trips.
Did you have a favourite/influential teacher? What made them so important to you?
I loved all of the teachers, but Mr McAuley was very supportive of me through my final years and always gave me the help I needed with the upmost effort, and even when I finished school and was in sixth form, he still helped me with my History work as I was getting no help from my sixth form teacher, and managed to get an A. Mr Graves was also very helpful to me as without his continuous effort I wouldn't have been able to pass my maths GCSE.
What advice would you give our current students?
Make the most of school because life gets so much harder after year 11, and the memories you make there will last a lifetime, as well as the wonderful friends you meet, and the experiences you learn.
Name: Stephanie Finney