Nicola Boyd Level 5 Health and Social Care

The subject matter is one very close to her heart and she decided to turn her passion into a career.  She explains

“I spent just under a year volunteering for Aid and Abet. They work with in prisons and community with offenders who have drug addictions.  My Dad had mental health issues and I looked after him until he sadly passed away.

My dream job is to be a probation officer and after losing my Dad I decided to give it a try and I applied for college.”

The decision to return to education was not an easy one for 31 year old Nicola but after speaking with the various support networks available at the college she realised there was help available.

“Before coming to college I hadn’t studied since school so coming back to education was terrifying! But I have settled in, I have made lots of good friends and my tutor Fiona Veitch is just fantastic.

I’m also a mum of three and wondered if returning to education would be financially feasible but the bursary department were really helpful and kept me up to date with all the information I needed.”

Looking to the future Nicola is hoping to progress onto the HNC social services course before going onto university to study criminology or social work on her way to achieving that dream job as a probation officer.  She is also continuing her voluntary work, this time at Addiewell prison where she is working alongside Cyrenians with the families of inmates preparing her for employment within the prison service.

Nicola offered the following words for anyone who may be in a similar position to her:

“It sounds cliché but don’t be scared to follow your dreams. There are lots of measures to support you in place. The only person who will stop you is you!”

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