I recently celebrated my graduation from Sheffield Hallam Univeristy, alongside my peers, after four long years of study. This is something I never thought I would be able to achieve.

 

One of my earliest school memories is being told that I would not go far and for a very long time I believed that. I thought that my achievements would be purely based on luck and chance, and that eventually this would run out. I was later diagnosed with Dyslexia.

 

I was told that in order to achieve the same as everyone else I had to work at least twice as hard, and at that point, for me, a degree education was nothing more than a fantasy. 

 

After enrolling at Sheffield Hallam University as a BSc Geography student, it took a while to get used to my new surroundings, especially with a global pandemic taking place but I persevered along with my peers, right through into my second year. 

 

In my third year I went on placement and spent some time working with the Environment Agency and going back to my old comprehensive/sixth-form as a Teaching Assistant in the Geography Department. I enjoyed the whole experience, and I started to look back at my progression. Seeing and working alongside all my old teachers again was a surreal experience, but it was then when I knew I could do it, and that I would aim as high as possible. 

 

 

With the help of my friends and family, pushing me, supporting me, sacrificing their time to read through my work, I managed to cross that finish line.

 

I can now proudly say that I  graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours in Geography, and was awarded the Wynford Rosser Award for 'Best Contribution in BSc Geography'.

 

After being constantly underestimated, to having achieved what I have, leaves me eternally grateful to everyone who supported me, pushed me, and opened my eyes to see my own potential; so much so, that before I finished my dissertation I was successful in attaining a Graduate Modeller role, at RPS, in Sheffield.