Vic Davies
After deciding to “take a leap of faith” and return to education, Vic Davies has graduated.
Faced with challenges and difficulties along the way, the Mental Health Nursing student believes that, though her education journey has not been easy, it has been worth it.
She has already taken up a role in a community therapy team and hopes this will be combined with continued learning and development.
“I can’t believe how fast the last three years have gone,” said Vic. “It’s such an achievement. The learning has had its challenges and it hasn’t been easy, but it’s worth it.”
Vic initially started working in mental health at 19 years old. “I really enjoyed my role in helping people with a severe mental health diagnosis access community services and leisure activities,” she said. “At 19 I was not in the right situation to be able to consider studying towards a Mental Health Nursing degree, but I wanted to. In my late 30s, I decided to take a leap of faith and give it a go.” Since starting out, Vic had built a wealth of experience working in mental health and other areas of the care sector and also four years in youth work, working with homeless young people.
After visiting a few universities, she settled on Worcester. “I liked the campus,” she added. “It didn’t feel big and overwhelming, but equally, it felt like it had all the facilities. On the Open Day, the staff and students were approachable, friendly and helpful which supported my decision to attend Worcester.”
In the early days of her course, Vic experienced the impact of Covid-19, with some learning online. She said: “My best memory of the course was when we started the mental health module on campus. Sitting in a room with people from many different walks of life with a shared interest was great.”
In her second year, Vic was diagnosed with dyslexia. “I always knew I struggled with some areas of learning,” she said. “I found that asking for help really benefited me. Firstpoint [the University’s student services facility] was very supportive with processes and advised me, and the librarians were knowledgeable about tools that I could use to support me in my studies.”
Then Vic suffered a family bereavement just before the start of her third year. Although she considered stepping back, she ultimately decided to continue on with the course and said that lecturers and nurses on her placement had been very supportive.
The University’s annual autumn Graduation Ceremonies will take place as planned from September 12-14 in the beautiful and historic Worcester Cathedral, followed by celebration receptions at the City Campus. No Worcester graduates have been affected by the marking and assessment boycott.
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