Annabel Fincham

We were delighted to welcome back Annabel, whose journey since leaving the Sixth Form in 2023 was nothing like her original plan!

She joined us from Davison High School to study A-levels in English Literature, Drama and Media. Towards the end of Year 13 Annabel decided that university was not for her as she is a hands-on learner and wanted to gain further qualifications whilst working. She had a meeting with Mr Bowles (Careers Manager) and after applying for a number of Level 3 apprenticeships was offered a job in Digital Marketing to start straight after her A-levels. Annabel felt this would suit her well as it tied in with the subjects that she had studied, and would give her freedom to manage her own time as the job was remote (working from home). However after a few weeks she began to feel quite unhappy in the job, with very little face-to-face contact with her colleagues, and realised that social interaction is important for her wellbeing and a key part of her learning style.

Annabel handed in her notice and was then unemployed for several months, applying for anything and everything on Indeed, just to have some money coming in. She secured a job with a local charity, Blind Veterans, as an events and entertainment officer. This involved organising trips, lunches and outings for service users who are rebuilding their lives after sight loss. She found this very rewarding and provided the social interaction she had been missing, and within 6 months she was promoted to Wellbeing Support Worker. She feels that she is making a difference to people's lives, and every day is different which she enjoys.

Her long term plan is to become a Wellbeing Specialist, and ultimately to complete a degree apprenticeship in Occupational Therapy. If you had asked Annabel 2 years ago whether she would have considered a career in healthcare, this could not have been further from her mind! 

Her advice to sixth form students woud be that there is a right path for everyone, and not to be discouraged when doors close or disappointments come. Do not wait for success to fall into your lap, work hard and look for opportunities, even if they may be a 'stop gap' until you find what suits you, you never know where it may take you. Annabel has learned a lot about herself and what she needs to make her happy, and she would not have discovered this without trying something unexpected.