Sian Preddy from Bridgend is a student Midwife at USW. This year, Sian, who is profoundly deaf and wears a cochlear implant, won two awards at the Womeninspire Awards in Cardiff where she was commended for her determination in following her dreams.

Sian said: "I have always wanted to work in the nursing profession as I spent a lot of time in hospital growing up.  At school, I was told that this would not be possible as I was ‘too deaf’.

Many years later, I set my heart on becoming a midwife.

Tutors at the USW Open Day were so helpful and informed me of what I needed to overcome in order to pursue a career in midwifery. I found an adapted stethoscope and finally, after a few years of overcoming different hurdles, my journey to midwifery began. 

Studying Midwifery at USW has been such a positive experience and the excellent support from my tutors has played a big role in my learning. If you have a dream, go for it.  You may come across some obstacles along the way but if it is what you really want, you can find a way around them. I did."