Richmond School & Sixth Form College

I was at Richmond from 2012 to 2019. I was a quiet kid, but Richmond made me feel comfortable helping to foster my passion for science and maths. I loved my time at Richmond with my physics teachers (particularly Mrs Harrison) who I saw had real passion for the subject and recognised my own passion. A standout point was the A level physics trip to CERN at Geneva. It was fantastic to have the opportunity to see such an incredible place of research. On top of that, Richmond made sure I was able to go despite financial hardship – something I was very grateful for. My time at Richmond with such great teachers made me realise how much I truly loved learning.

The memories I have of Richmond School and the College are very fond ones! I enjoyed a lot of what I studied when I was at school, and was very interested in it, in particular, maths, sciences and languages, which I am still keeping up with and learning about. I was also keen to branch out, push myself and learn about things that interested me outside the curriculum, so I took part in a variety of things to learn about everything from genetics to medicine to cyber security. I was very lucky to have some wonderful teachers throughout my time at school and sixth form who were able to encourage and help me apply to these things, and I was very grateful for the opportunities this gave me! Even in sixth form, I wanted to remain involved in the main school, so I spent some time volunteering for the maths department and the science club, helping out in lessons and after school, and I had a fantastic time doing it.

I completed both my GCSEs and A-Levels at Richmond School and was pleased with my results. I decided to do A-Levels in Maths, Sport, and Biology as I knew they could help me when going to University to study Paramedic Science. However, I did find the jump from GCSEs to A-levels quite challenging, especially due to the fact most of my studies were online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After studying A-levels I had a year out of education focusing on working and deciding what I wanted to do as a career. During my year out of education, I kept in contact with Mrs Johnson who helped me apply for Paramedic Science at the University of Sunderland. I started my degree in September 2022 and I’m currently at the end of my second year. I have had the opportunity to experience lots of amazing placements, from working on the ambulance to working on several cardiology wards across the north east. I love my job and have experienced things I never would have had the opportunity to do otherwise. Working on the ambulance is one of the most rewarding things I have done and makes me realise that being a Paramedic is something I want to do for the rest of my career. My studies have allowed me to make lifelong friends who I hope to work alongside when I qualify.