Graduate successes: Check out Leeds Trinity University for higher education degree course inspiration
And whether your A-level results are better than expected, or not as good as you’d hoped, you could still be enrolling on a degree course here at Leeds Trinity University this autumn.
Graduation at Leeds Trinity University is a week-long affair, and is a highlight for staff, students and their families – with plenty of smiles and reasons to celebrate.
Here we take a look at four of the student success stories which could inspire you to come and take a look at the courses and opportunities on offer.
Amelia joins the BBC
Having excelled on the Broadcast Journalism course Amelia Riley is now applying the skills she developed at the institution across a number of BBC platforms.
She graduated with a First-Class degree, in addition to the Dean’s Award for excellent achievement, and is now working for the BBC as a radio producer, news bulletin presenter and reporter.
The job came about following a successful work placement with BBC Radio Humberside in August 2022, who then offered her a freelance contract to work weekends to fit around her education. Upon the completion of her final year assignments, Amelia moved home to take on midweek shifts with the station, before recently securing similar contracts with BBC Lincolnshire and BBC Sheffield.
Amelia said: “I used to walk past the BBC offices and think ‘I hope to work there one day.’ To have been offered freelance work with them feels like a dream and I cannot believe how lucky I am to already be working in the industry.
“Broadcast Journalism is a brilliant, practical course that really teaches you the skills you need to get a job in the industry. I feel assured it has taught me everything I need to know to succeed, and my confidence has grown massively.”
Sabina went on the beat
Leeds Trinity student Sabina Lee graduated with a Criminology with Police Studies degree and a wealth of first-hand experience under her belt, thanks to a placement opportunity supplied by the University.
Focused on pursuing her aim of joining a police force, Sabina chose to join the course so she could develop her practical skills while broadening her theoretical understanding of criminology.
She has also had a unique opportunity to complete a placement as a Special Constable with the North Yorkshire Police. Starting in 2021 and concluding in June of this year, Sabina gained valuable insight into modern policing, working on a wide range of cases including criminal damage, missing persons, road traffic collisions and more. The experience has not only improved her confidence and widened her network but has made her more determined to join the police than ever before.
Sabina said: “Every job I attended allowed me to learn from experienced individuals who cared about my input and allowed me to play a part in incidents that we’d attend.
“I was very lucky in securing the placement as without the Careers+Placements team at Leeds Trinity sending me the link to the job advert, I wouldn't have seen it.”
A dream job for Kate
The Careers+Placements team at Leeds Trinity also helped Kate secure a “dream job” working in a psychology department with offenders, a role that will complement her long-term ambitions of becoming a qualified forensic psychologist.
But there was a time when Kate thought she might never achieve her goals – dropping out of her first university course in Wales.
But, having then successfully completed a Law degree at the University of Leeds between 2017 and 2020 she found her passion still lying in the
people skills-orientated industry of psychology. That is how she found her way to Leeds Trinity University, enrolling onto the MSc Psychology (Conversion) programme in September 2022 and she has just graduated with a Merit.
Reflecting on her achievement, Kate said: “I have come full circle on my aspirations, something I never imagined would be possible. Without the support of Leeds Trinity University and the incredible people in it, it wouldn’t have been.
“The level of support at the University is phenomenal. I previously experienced a huge knock to my self-esteem and confidence by dropping out, so I was very nervous to start studying again but the various avenues of support and opportunities to become involved in the culture at Leeds Trinity mean I have never looked back. I was elated and so grateful to be graduating.”
Athlete Lottie shows her competitive edge
As if the commitment required to be a top-level athlete wasn’t enough, Charlotte McGuiness took on the additional challenge of expanding her knowledge with an undergraduate degree at Leeds Trinity University back in 2020 and graduated with a 2:1.
Charlotte, known as Lottie, represents Team GB in Para Powerlifting and has been competing at events throughout her time studying Sport and Exercise Sciences.
A part of the ‘World Class Programme’, Lottie has been required to travel from her home in Harrogate to the training base in Loughborough up to three times a month, making it challenging for her to attend live practical sessions at Leeds Trinity’s Horsforth campus along with the rest of her cohort.
However, her endeavours have been supported through the University’s Talented Athlete Support Package, which assists student athletes competing at a high level to manage their studies and sports careers by providing blended learning arrangements.
Lottie said: “Combing training, competing and studying can be hard, so having the extra support from Sarah [Todd, Sports Development and Performance Manager at Leeds Trinity] and the sports department gave me so much reassurance. I wasn’t panicking about what I was missing or upcoming deadlines as I knew the process of making alternative arrangements allowed me to catch up easily
“Thanks to that, I was able to get a grade that I’m really happy with and do well in my recent powerlifting events. It’s a great feeling, a good grade and all the hard work has been worth it.”
Be part of the success story
For more information on these degree courses and more, including places available in Clearing, visit the University’s website here