Charlotte clinches degree and job success

Charlotte Griffiths resigned from her job and re-located from Bristol to study Forensic Psychology at the University of Teesside. The move has paid off, for Charlotte has started a new post as a trainee probation officer, and when she graduates from the University today with her BSc (Hons) degree she will also receive the Steve Baldwin Memorial prize.

The late Professor Steve Baldwin lectured in Psychology at the University from 1998 to 2001. During that time Professor Baldwin also set up a clinic to provide alternative treatments to children and teenagers who had been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder and had been prescribed the drug Ritalin. The clinic was the first of its kind in the UK. Professor Baldwin was killed in the Selby rail crash of February 2001.

Charlotte, 30, now lives in Stockton, and is originally from Bath. She said of her £250 prize: “It was a shock, but also a huge compliment. I received the prize for my dissertation which was a lot of effort, so the work was all worthwhile.”

Originally Charlotte moved from her home city of Bath to Bristol at the age of 19. In Bristol, she joined the Ministry of Defence, and progressed to executive level. While there, she met her partner, Richard Jenkinson, who is originally from Stockton. By the age of 27, Charlotte wanted a change of direction, and visited the University of Teesside with Richard, a former Teesside graduate. She was told about the new degree in Forensic Psychology and was hooked.

Charlotte said: “I liked the fact that the degree covered Psychology and Criminology, I’ve always been fascinated by human behaviour, what makes people commit anti-social acts? The telephone call telling me I’d been accepted onto the degree changed my life. I resigned from the MOD, sold my car and moved to the North-East. The sacrifices I made were worth it as I’ve gained so much, made lots and lots of friends and achieved what I’ve wanted to.”

Charlotte gained her new post as a trainee probation officer in Durham following a three-stage recruitment process. She will qualify in two years time. The University’s four days of graduation ceremonies will be a family affair, as Charlotte’s partner Richard will also receive his Master of Science degree in Forensic Investigation.

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