Kaitlyn attended Smithycroft Secondary School in Glasgow and was involved in the YGT programme. She always dreamed of being a nurse, but her journey to get there has not been straightforward or easy. Now she is well on her way to achieving her dream. This is her story.
When Kaitlyn was in primary school, she experienced disruption at home, which led to her moving primary schools four times. This impacted her ability to concentrate in school, and she missed three months of class. She spent time in care and was deeply affected by these disruptions in her home life. While preparing for her Nat 4 exams her health took a turn.
“In high school I faced a lot of challenges. One of the main challenges was non-epileptic seizures, which was caused by the stress of exams in fourth year. This year was extremely stressful as my attendance dropped as I faced the majority of the year in hospital.”
“I suffered from depression when I took my seizures and couldn’t get out of bed in the mornings. I struggled to be in school when I was meant to be. This affected my school experience massively because I had to have a lot of support throughout school and certain experiences triggered me.”
She was matched with a mentor, who provided a safe place for Kaitlyn to talk about her struggles and whatever else was on her mind.
In spite of her challenges, she held fast to her dreams and completed a Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care and achieved her Nat 5 in both English and Maths, subjects she struggled with. She credits the help of her MCR mentor for supporting her through her struggles and pushing her even when Kaitlyn was at her lowest.
After completing her Foundational Degree and achieving solid grades Kaitlyn had enough qualifications to apply for nursing. She was accepted into Clyde College HNC Care and Administrative Practice programme and is well on her way to achieving her dream. She is an incredible young person who has faced enormous odds but never let them stand in her way.
She shares that her proudest moment has been:
“Finishing high school when I wanted to leave millions of times. What I’m most excited about in my future is achieving my goals and being the first child from my family to go to university.”
