From aromatherapy to occupational therapy

Amanda Jackson is making the switch from aromatherapy to occupational therapy as the 33-year-old from Saltburn is set to enrol on the University of Teesside's BSc (Hons) in Occupational Therapy this September.

Amanda had been interested in a nursing career but was put off applying due to her lack of qualifications. She left school and went straight into a series of casual jobs. After a position as a care assistant when she was 27, Amanda felt that she had enough confidence to undertake some formal qualifications.

She said: "I decided to start small and took a couple of GCSEs as well as a IT course. Once I started on my learning curve I set my sights higher and did a Diploma in Aromatherapy, more out of a personal interest really, but as it was a higher level it helped my confidence and gave me more choice about what to do next."

Amanda's next step was to enrol on the Teesside Regional Open College Network (TROCN) Access to Higher Education (Nursing) course. No one was more surprised than Amanda when she was nominated for the TROCN Adult Learning Support Award in recognition of her achievement.

"The TROCN award was a great acknowledgement of the hard work and commitment I'd put in to the course. I've a family to take care of and had some health problems myself and in spite of this I still managed to get through my studies. I'm so looking forward to starting my full-time degree. It's been a bit of a struggle but the support and advice of the tutors have helped me cope," said Amanda.

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