It’s hard to believe it’s been six years since I started my journey at West College Scot walked in without a word of English and started with ESOL Level 3. I was lucky to have amazing lecturers who helped me pick up English super fast. Then, I moved on to ESOL plus Business course the next year, and that’s where I met the fantastic Anne Malcolm.
Anne has been such an inspiration to me. I remember once, while chatting about the future, she asked me what I planned to do after the year ended. I thought I’d look for a job since my English was getting better. Anne asked, “Why not keep studying?” At 35, I felt a bit too old for going back to school, but Anne shared her story and made me see it’s never too late.
Thanks to her, I stuck with WCS and completed my HNC and HND in Business and met more incredible lecturers who inspired me every step of the way.
After finishing my HND, I got the chance through WCS to jump right into the third year at university, focusing on risk management. This was all thanks to the encouragement and help from many of the lecturers. Now, I’m in my final year. The third year was tough, especially with some health hiccups, but I managed to keep my grades above 70% and even got nominated as one of the top three Risk Manager Students of 2023 by the Insurance and Actuarial Society of Glasgow and Caledonian University!
I’m super excited about how things have turned out. If I’m here today, it’s all thanks to the help, dedication, and encouragement of the College. This year, I’m also involved in the Risk and Finance Society as an industry events coordinator and the Risk Clinic, which is a cool new project for connecting students with the industry. Plus, I’m a class rep too.
On the side, I’m working with Lingo Flamingo, teaching Spanish and Italian in care homes and online classes for the Glasgow Disability Alliance.
My next goal is to graduate with a First-Class degree.
I can’t thank the College enough for everything – the lessons, the support, and the laughs. The staff have all been a huge part of my journey.
If you're inspired by Ana's story, check out our Business courses starting August.