Having always aspired to work with children, Sarah Jane Mckay has graduated with a HNC in childhood practice.
Studying a course through North East Scotland College’s (NESCol) school links programme while she was a student at Fraserburgh Academy, she set her sights on studying there full-time.
She managed to work her way through the institutions non-advanced childcare courses before beginning her HNC.
The 21-year-old said: “I found studying at Fraserburgh campus very enjoyable, the staff motivated me to work hard and there were always plenty of opportunities to expand my learning and knowledge.
“When I first left school I had no confidence and doubted my abilities, NESCol changed that.
“During my time there, I became more self-assured through interacting with college staff, my fellow students and the children and professionals I met during my placements.”
Placements allowed for real-world experience
While studying at NESCol she participated in a number of placements.
Each of these afforded her the opportunity to develop her knowledge and experience in real childcare settings.
During her time at the college, she worked at various nurseries in the Fraserburgh and Peterhead area including Auld Kirk Nursery, Anna Ritchie School nursery and Fraserburgh North School nursery.
She added: “I cannot thank all the lecturers at NESCol and my placement mentors enough, they made a huge impact on me and have set me on the path to a successful career in the childcare sector.
“I would never have believed when I started at College that I would become a fully qualified Early Years Practitioner.
“From my experiences so far I truly enjoy seeing children develop confidence, achieve new skills and accomplishing things they didn’t think they could.”