Graduation Tales | “There's a lot to be gained from building your knowledge along the way”

This week, the International Convention Centre Wales in Newport will once again see thousands of our graduates cross the stage in their cap and gown. To celebrate, we are sharing the stories of some of our inspirational students.

Sandra Fergusson’s experience bringing up her children, being a grandmother, and working with those who support children, has been a major influence in her life.

Now 60, she’s graduated with a degree in BSc (Hons) Childhood Development from the University of South Wales (USW). Her route to an undergraduate degree has been an unusual one, and proves that it’s never too late to continue learning.

“I started work aged 16, back in 1978. In those days there was less of a push to go to university. My focus was on spending time with my friends and partying,” she said.

“I started a job working at Marks & Spencer (M&S). I had no intention of staying for long, however, I ended up working my way up in the company until I was at management level – in total, I was there for 29 years.”

At M&S, Sandra got involved with staff development. She enjoyed training others in her role, and so she later decided to take on an additional part-time job within the voluntary sector.

“My role involved developing and supporting childminders, helping them access funding, and assisting them with their registration and training. The role really made me want to do more with child development. At the time I’d already had one of my children, and I felt that childminders did an amazing job.”

Sandra then started a new job, where she led a team rolling out training programmes for the childcare sector and supporting families by working in collaboration with other services. However, in 2019, she decided she wanted to go to university, and applied for the BSc (Hons) Childhood Development course at USW.

“It was a massive decision for me to leave my job – I loved it, but I was 57 at the time, and I just thought, what's next for me? I felt like it was time for a change,” said Sandra.

“I decided to do the course as my experience of having my own children and working in the childcare sector had made me realise the importance of good quality childcare. Getting the qualification would provide me with the opportunity to apply for roles involving the quality assurance of childcare services. It was great opportunity.”

Sandra enjoyed her first year at USW, but found the second year challenging due to the pandemic. In her third year, she was asked to take part in a new collaborative group dissertation project alongside a fellow student.

“My dissertation project involved working in collaboration with Children in Wales and Linc Cymru to evaluate the use of a community hub which had been integrated at a school. The research included evaluating potential barriers that needed to be addressed to offer increased support and services for families. 

“I'd already worked in collaboration a lot throughout my career, so I could see the value of this type of project. I think there's a great benefit to not doing a dissertation on your own. When you work in a team, you can help each other out and work to each other's strengths and weaknesses. You need to work effectively with other people – I think that’s what life’s all about.”

Sandra says that a change in career should be seen as a positive move because of the unexpected opportunities it can bring.

“It’s easy to feel too comfortable in a job, but I think undertaking a range of roles throughout your career can offer you new learning opportunities that could end up changing your direction completely. Taking on new challenges outside of your comfort zone can make a positive impact on you as a person - that’s why I've enjoyed working so much,” said Sandra.

“Why not try? What is there to lose? In fact, there's a lot to be gained from building your knowledge along the way. Sometimes things aren’t meant to be, and you’ve got to go with the flow.”

What advice would Sandra give to those who are considering going back to study, but are hesitant?

“My advice would be to do it – you’ve got nothing to lose!”, said Sandra.

“I've always said to my children, just do your best, and if you do, that's all we can expect from you, and you should be proud of yourself.”

Looking to the future, Sandra has been selected for a Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarship (KESS) studentship in the Faculty of Life Sciences and Education at USW.

“Just because I'm 60, just because I'm a grandmother, just because I've worked since I was 16, doesn't mean I've got to stop trying new things.”