Jessica Kwan from Enniskillen in County Fermanagh, studied with South West College on the Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care at the college's Erne campus.

Her intentions were unclear after leaving school at 16 years of ages with minimal GCSEs and the anxiety around this made her feel it was the end of the world for her. This left her options limited and on multiple occasions was resigned to giving up but, she never gave up.

Jessica chose SWC to continue studying in order to progress and make the most of being a student before it was too late and she is sure it was the best decision she has ever made.

Jessica had her say on her experience of the college:


I had the best experience in SWC. I found the lecturers so helpful and they would go out of their way to help. The course coordinator goes above and beyond and always wants to help her students shine.

She continued on the practical benefits of studying the Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care at SWC:


I have learned skills that I was able to put in place when I was doing my work placement and got a job after I had graduated. The most significant thing I learned during this course is that there are different people with different cultures and it is extremely important to treat each individual with respect and diversity through equal treatment. I have learned to communicate effectively and professionally with my clients.

On completion of her Foundation Degree at South West College, Jessica progressed on to Ulster University to study the BSc Hons Degree in Health and Well-Being and is well on her way to her dream career of becoming a social worker.

She had encouraging words for anyone considering studying at SWC to progress their own career:


I would absolutely recommend SWC to anyone who wants to further progress on their education, this would be ideal and perfect for school leavers. If you're thinking about giving up, I would insist not to and tot follow your dreams. Study while you still can and don't hold back if it's something you want to do. I lacked confidence thinking I couldn't do this and I shut the negativity out and put the head down to work on assignments and exams and I passed.

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