Being a student with disability with Siobhan

Student Placement Officer, Siobhan, shares her story with us, around her diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis and the challenges she has overcome to succeed. 

Transcript

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Hi everyone, and welcome to series two of the Student Connect podcast. I'm Tiffany and I am a second year film, television and radio student that staffs. Normally, I co-host the podcast with Danny, but unfortunately he's ill today, so it will just be me. This podcast is created in association with Staffordshire University and hosted by our student communications ambassador team. It's a student that podcast which shares the experiences of students progressing through university education and inviting experts from a variety of life topics. This series will focus on the stories from our community and turning up the volume on under represented groups because everyone has a story to tell. Along the way, we will endeavor to share on these stories, sometimes too honest, to help to educate and support those who may also be going through similar experiences. There may be some sensitive topics discussed because we feel these are important to share, to raise awareness of issues. If at any point we use incorrect terminology, please rest assured that this is part of us educating ourselves and not intended to cause offense. We also want to say a big thank you to my V for being on the first episode of the second series. It was amazing to get to know him and hear his story and you should go and check that out if you wish. Now let's get stuck in with today's episode. We intend that this episode will be released during Disability History Month, which runs from the 64 November to 16th of December 2022. This year's theme is Disability, Health and Wellbeing. Disability History Month recognizes the history of the struggle for equality and human rights. Calls on schools, colleges, universities, local authorities, employers, the public and the media to recognize and celebrate UK Disability History Month. It also encourages them to campaign to improve the unequal position of disabled people in society and work with disability charities and trade unions in the struggle for equality and inclusion. At Staffordshire University, we have a student inclusion team who provide advice, support and guidance to applicant students and staff to promote an environment in which students feel able to be their authentic self and to reach their academic potential. We are also aware that not all disabilities are visible. Therefore, we support the Sunflower Lanyard scheme, the Invisible Disability Sunflower Lanyard Scheme is a national initiative designed to act as a discreet sign that somebody has an invisible disability and may require additional assistance while out in public. We are always striving to do more and be better. Shortly we'll invite our guest who is a person with a disability why we will touch on their disability. However, it does not define them and we strive to get to know them and their involvement in our community beyond this. We are excited to welcome our guest for this episode. So if you want to introduce yourself. Hi Sam Shevaun I study and work at starting uni, so I study education studies and I work as a part of the Career Connect team. Then the university. My pronouns, just to be clear, are she and her. Nice. Yeah. So tell me more about your disability. So I have mass, multiple sclerosis. So a bit of a mouthful, but I mean, just keep it short and sweet. And so I got diagnosed with that in 2018, so I was only just turned 90 myself. So I was quite. Young, was. Only 23. Now I'll give my age out. Yeah. So I was quite young when I was diagnosed is quite severe what I was going through. So at the time I thought it was I was having issues on my hands. They were cramping. Penzias couldn't feel them, I couldn't use them. And I just thought I slept on. Funny. Yeah. Was the doctor's advice after a while. That has some issues with Ms.. I had a bit of fractured vision in one eye and so to the doctors and they're like, Let's get you some MRI done. Yeah. So like, Oh my goodness. Okay, they. Can all of that stuff solid. They don't need that. And then obviously it came out from the MRI that had a lot of lesions, which is damaged basically on my brain and which shows I've had a lot of relapses with Ms.. So it was quite severe, quite extensive. So they were like, Have. Any drugs, any. Treatment that you want? Medical drugs. Science, medical drugs and treatments that should come as severe as you lot. Yeah. So they gave you the option of whichever I wanted. That was what I'd yet just 19. So it was very young. At the time. Oh yeah. So with I was looking at some, I was looking at a page about a slight just for a little bit of research and he says this about there's two types of it. Yeah, there's multiple types. I think there's maybe more than two. So the main one, which is what I have, is relapsing remitting. So you'll have times in remission where you'll be pretty much fine to an extent. There might be some symptoms daily or symptoms you might experience, but you won't be in relapse. So when you're in relapse, that is when you're having this attack. So it's like your nerve system attacks itself. Right? Okay. So when your relapse is like the best I can describe is in your brain and spinal cord as well, it affects both. You have the neurons that fire across your brain that make you do things. So anything that makes you shape your hand in a certain way or helps you see or speak or walk, everything's ups from in your neurons firing that. So yeah, and the channels that travels down your nerve systems, it's like a wire. So you have the wire that's exposed the live wire, and then you have the coating around the plastic coating around it to protect you from it. Yeah, that's like the coating on your neuron. Sort of the roots in your brain. But for most people, there's damage to that outer layer. The myelin is called, so there's damage to that myelin layer. So then when you have a new one, go across that nerve, it offshoots so you don't get the result of what you're trying to do. So you maybe don't you aren't able to move suit and able to see it that way. So these it sounds really small when I say, oh, a misfire on one nerve because of the damage, it seems. Oh, okay, there's a little thing, but obviously that it can have these really big adverse effects. Yeah. So I mean, personally, I accept it. My hands couldn't use I couldn't use knife and fork. It was only one of my hands. Luckily, I did want to use my less dominant hand, but I couldn't use knife and fork. I couldn't turn my hair up or, you know, sit in clothes and buckles and laces. I couldn't do. I couldn't, you know, in the shower and bath. I couldn't use the shampoo. You can't squeeze the bottle. Yeah. Oh, things like that. So it was it was really annoying really. Obviously to play is simply. Annoying, but obviously more so just not great in general. And but that was just my hand and I got diagnosed and that side problem had a little bit. But then I also end up getting pregnant when I was quite young because of medication that I was on and they said, Oh, you'll have a break now with your arms. You'll be in remission for the whole nine months. So you've got a break now. You've got to focus on the pregnancy. And I had a relapse anyway. Because I was so. Severe with it, with the symptoms. So and they were the worst ones I had. So when I was halfway pregnant, I was having some pins news on my feet, and they were all the way up to my knees, up to my thighs, up to my hips, my both of my legs, completely pins and needles. So I thought, I'll go get checked out. So some of we're kind of wholesaling, it's don't need that side enough. And then the next day or two days later I woke up and I couldn't walk. I just couldn't walk. So my legs just wouldn't hold them away. It's all they were not scared. They just wouldn't work, basically. So I was in a bit of a predicament, let's say, and then along with that, I couldn't walk. And then for periods I went blind in one eye as well. So I kind of started with this these intense headaches. And so the similar problem, I had lost someone the other eye, but the medication obviously sort of the outfall. Yeah. And then it just kind of got really cloudy for them. Right. And each day got worse and worse until the point where I was blind in the eye. I couldn't see at all. So I. Was partially. Blind, couldn't walk and halfway pregnant. So it was just a brilliant time for me. Is that just. Yeah, that's crazy. Like yesterday. The bad relapses. When the relapses they are for me, obviously, every single person with M.S. is different. Yeah. So no one person, not the same issues, they might have some of the other similar supporters who met the same one. The never for the same time, same severity. They're all completely different. So it is so wide and expansive. This disability is and like you mentioned before, it's actually about to be an invisible illness. It is, unless it is. And while you really progressed in this stage of your disability, sometimes it isn't clear. So a lot of people that I meet now, I'm in remission, I'm having treatment for I've got I'm on medication. So I am pretty much okay until I, I have to have infusions every six months. So I don't go down a. Bit, but I let it all out. Yes. Every six months I have my medication. It's like an IV drip. So now people with cancer have chemotherapy. Yeah. And they go in for the day and they get hooked up with an IV drip and go in this medication. That is what I do it twice a year. Okay. So every day. That's why it's now completely wiped. And my whole immune system and that's my treatment. So obviously the lead up to that, I find I have a lot of symptoms. So my speech goes a bit funny. I can't seem to fit with that. My word fine, didn't look great and I have a severe stutter at certain points. Yeah. Headaches, atrocious. I've been now diagnosed with chronic migraines. As a part of this, which is. Just brilliant. So guess. What then? It's, you know, I've muscle spasms and pains. I get quite weak, really fatigued. That's just the lead up to when I don't. You might infusion again. Yeah. And then post that I have about a week or so. I just need to rest. I just I'm completely catatonic. I need to just rest. It's how you like. Is it. Yeah. Because it completely wipes out my immune system so it can't attack itself, essentially kind of get rid of the ones that are attacking myself. But it has to get rid of everything and then it'll build itself back up. Then it still builds up again. That's how I start attacking myself and having these issues and I have my fusion again. So it's all a bit of a constant loop. Yeah. Little psyche. Yeah. That is really promising. And there's a lot of different medication you can have. Is this pills as injections? This is what I've got infusions. There's a lot of different things. And then I also just a patch actually back I'm really wide tangent. About saying the different types. But is it really limited where it's sometimes okay, sometimes in relapse. Yeah, but then there's other ones, there's secondary and there's progressive. I think I think secondary progressive is generally where it gets to the point where you don't have these remission points. You just get with you're in constant with issues and they just get worse and worse and worse might be the goal. It can't figure out what is a can't, what is now, but is a point where is constant as well is progressively worse. There's no the bar is just constant, which is when you get to the point where you need wheelchairs and care and things. Because obviously as you lose function of hands, sight, legs being that that that there's a lot of different issues that you can have. And so if you want to get to that point, then you're better about stock. Then let's say you've got to just make the most get the medication you can and treatments and care. Yeah, I'm lucky enough that I'm not at that point right now and I've sucks. I have not been able to walk It's not fun and that we would say that's not funny this. Sort of bad. Things but I I'm very rational I think in the perspective. I think I know I've got a mess and I know that it's real. I know it's not great and I know of some people. Oh, got you done a what you've not been able to see. That's horrendous. I can't believe that. How do you cope? How do you do what you do and invest in work and all your extracurricular and the door to How do you do all that? And to me, I'm thinking, oh, it's just I just get on with it. Yeah. And there must be so many other people out there that are so much worse than I am. So I think who I said I got so bad when I so many of the people that have got all these problems that are worse than mine just in my disability, let alone any other disability and issues such as a general, I just just massive really tough myself sometimes. I mean, it's a good issue to have because then like, you're not limiting yourself. You can of course there's going to be times where it's more difficult. But yeah, it's good that you have that mindset. Well. Yeah, I do try to do as much as I possibly can. Probably too much. I need to sometimes do too much. I have a lot of extracurriculars with theater and things and the teacher and and all this kind of business. I'm directing, I'm acting. All these different things. So it's I do do a. Lot of talk about that stuff in the. Oh, yeah, that's fine. But what would you say? Like, what does it mean to you to have a disability? Because I know especially how you know, with it being an invisible disability, do you find it not, not so much harder. But I feel like because I've always heard about a mass. But no, no one really like speaks about these things. Whereas I feel like if it's a disability that's physical, people are much more aware of it. So how have you found having to go through that in that in those times. Especially when I was diagnosed, we were the same. We didn't really know what it was. I thought, okay, so I find that and the doctor was like, You do realize this is quite serious. And I said, Oh, is it going to kill me thinking this is the main thing you think was something. Like. Oh my God, I oh my gosh, I'm going to die? And I said, No, no, it's not a terminal thing. You will have it the rest of your life. So it's a forever. Yeah. Disability is not a terminal one cells. So. Okay, it's fine. Then I said, No, this is serious. You need to sort of take this seriously and look into it. So absolute into it. I think it just that generally it like what you're doing with this podcast, trying to raise awareness, raising awareness for all these different disabilities. It just so effective that we just don't know. And just to educate them helps them think, Oh gosh, I know as well. It is surprising really, how many people know people have a mass. It's not somebody you know, first on second time, somebody you know will know somebody who has it. Is it quite a common like? I'm not sure the the sort of statistics how probably I'll put popular popular I am. Yeah. How how many people have I don't know what statistic for that is, but I would find I'm surprised about how many people know somebody at the very least who's a is. I think generally they say it's usually sort of the middle aged sort of get these diagnoses. So I've said the fact that I was really young was it was great in terms of getting early intervention. And but also the fact that I think it was kind of obvious for the doctors because of how severe it was for me got. So not as obvious issues, it might be a lot harder to get diagnosed. So again, the awareness of that is that the symptoms can maybe help with the diagnosis. So yeah, yeah. And I think generally a lot of times some disabilities can be quite this is what I'll have everybody, this disability has these characteristics and that is not like that. So it's I have a blue badge and personally I feel sometimes a bit of a fraud. I know that I need a can't occasion if there's a disabled space and then somebody comes in and possibly mobility car or something. I can tell really need that space. I will leave. I worked in that space. Yeah. And that's just disrespectful way of doing it. And I think sometimes if there's plenty space, I'll park him on that and I've got every right to But that, that and the, the lanyards I think are brilliant for the invisible disabilities. Brilliant especially things like travel and things on public places. It's so beneficial for people with disabilities that are invisible personally might be controversial. I don't like wearing them. I have one just in case to have with me if I need it. But I don't like wearing it because I have this idea in my head. I don't like being snap judged and it's not necessarily a bad judgment. It can be quite positive thinking. Oh, they must need some extra help. Yeah, I can see. I could be a bit. Like. I'm very much. I'm fine. I don't want you to know that I've got anything wrong. I'm very open about it. I'll talk to anybody saying that I've got the disability. I'm back. I can have a joke about it. I have so many jokes. I take the mic out of myself a lot. I'm totally cool with it. But it's just this thing of wearing something that's going to make people think, Oh, what disability? Oh, what's wrong with them? Yeah, it is a bit at that. I don't want. Somebody coming from exactly that. I mean, I'm glad you said that cause I never thought of it that way. Like a new element. And I was like, Ah, cool. But I can see now that for someone who has that, it could be a bit daunting. So I'm by no means saying, don't do it. Yeah. I there's somebody in my class who has an invisible disability. She wears her lying out all the time. I just. Don't. If it's personal preference, which is absolutely fine. And I think it's brilliant for some people if they really need assistance, especially in public. Yeah, it's great to have just a clear indicator. Yes, I need help. Which if it was point, I needed that lanyard for obvious reasons. I would wear it for I personally for now don't think that I would like to wear one. I'm a bit independent as well, but still that I think is. The main principle. It's good to be stubborn sometimes. Yes. Yeah. As long goes when you need it, you get the help. Yeah. So looking at my and coming back, like with this whole idea of the invisibility of it, like going back to, like the car park spaces, I feel like a lot people are quick to judge when they see people got that view because you don't need that space. Yeah. How do you. Know? Yes, I completely agree. Yeah, that gets on my nerves all the time. Yeah. And it's the other way round now. It's not so much by using that if you can walk, if you're not hobbling, some people put on you think oh I sometimes I think myself, if it is, there's plenty spaces but I've got a space so he sees me. Do I have to maybe put on a limp and just look as if I am disabled? And you shouldn't have to do that, which is what makes it all. Yeah. And then it's like sometimes with the irate ness over, if you see some important selfish who does not have a blue badge, then it's like, Who are you taking that space away from? Yeah, it's that respect that's like with this one, we can't walk. They can't walk to that front door from a space that's too far away and you've taken that space. It's that respect, I think, is. Is that which makes you off a little bit. So if we talk a bit more about you genuinely. Genuinely, you more generally very I can't. Get my words out today. So just tell us a bit about yourself. Like where are you from? Like, where did you grow up? Born and raised in Stoke. Yeah. That's true. Yeah. Yeah. My, my PR voice on my boot. Luke, my say no, I know what you mean. I'm a Brummie, but. Oh, yeah. I'll change my voice. But he put people on the phone to voice. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Subconsciously. Yeah. So you mentioned you do a lot of extracurriculars. Do at the minute every night, which is insane because I also have a three. Year old. Who was a bit of a handful actually. All is, and I love it to bits. She's obviously my priority for everything I do. I have a lot of other things I direct doing a play for a want, for an actually competition. Now I. Am. Snow White, I should say. In Snow White, the pantomime, it's like the Wrap that's Christmas with the covers. Will Oh, it's super fun. And I also am in another play at the Wrap with the play is it's like a murder mystery Christmas on me just to excite in. To my favorite things. I know. Come along come along feel come on to check that out now on a. Thursday with another performing arts school Local one called Thrive Performing Arts School. How about that on a Thursday as well as then going to LAMDA to train for drama exams on a Thursday. So I'm very. Busy. That's my sort of things, obviously. How is it community groups in that they really want the college more as a charity as well? It's the Charity Theater group as well, so they just do brilliant work. They all do, to be honest and I really love doing it. That's my passion. So obviously around full time uni, I'm full time and that part time work and full time. Yeah. And adult which is a full time job anyway. I was always so super busy. Have huge respect for. You because it's a lot. Oh wow. So what courses are you on? Education. Yes, education studies. So what's your course like a like so what? What is it you want to do? You want to be a teacher? Yeah. I think generally teach I'm not too sure on the semantics of everything after the specifics of all high school prime school subjects, subjects, higher education, I'm not too sure yet am. I'm kind of keeping it open. I know the postgraduate. I want to do more. So these so I want to do masters. I want to do Pgce Masters a doctorate. I want to do all. I think I might as well. Now, also, I'm still young, you know. It's about as I get older now, something good enough health. For an. Adult is not too old to, you know, be in things like SATs or GCSE. She's still quite young for that. So yeah, it's not it's not too bad. Might as well get older now and then I've got all these qualifications I can access as much entertainment, as much education as I would like, just sort of, you know, sick or the information. And then I can go out into the world and maybe help. Some other people. Yeah. Oh, wow. Well, that sounds amazing. Yeah. So hopefully so what made you choose stuff she needs because it was in Stoke or what was your thought process? Yeah, I do think generally it was the locality for obviously my daughter's sake. We have a great university connected. They've got a new building which is absolutely stone. It looks incredible. And so that was a really great option. Is near family as well. Is that sort of locality at ease and is of it? But then it was there was a couple local ones and this is one that shone out for me because it was really great. It was a really great community, great support network, obviously talking about that and these podcast and the debate in the disabled students allowance that I get and the team within that disabled students team are just so incredible during all the application processes. They support you completely. The the things that you get on, things you're allowed to have. I was specifically for myself. I'm allowed a lot of different things to encompass what I might might need if I was in relapse, let's say. So I don't need some of the things I have access to, but that it's there for me if I need it, which I think is really just have that there for accessing. Yeah. So I can only imagine it's the same for a lot of the students here. I also had a friend. I'm not going to disclose who it was, but she had a recent thing where she thought she had a disability of a kind, so she got an assessment through and the university's been great support and in a back pay for payments that she should have been entitled to. And she's had this diagnosis now. So now she's going to this thing and they're so great and efficient. I think it's brilliant. How they support the students is brilliant. It was really good. But that's really good to hear, actually, because I feel like I suppose it can be a bit daunting, can it? I mean, it's born in full like a student who hasn't got to worry about that stuff in a certain sense. So yeah, definitely. It's good that the helps her because I also do there's a disabled disabled students network is in there and they host is it fortnightly socials? I think so I'm not personally tend to connect not much of a social but in terms of the nights out some more at home adults. Yeah but yeah they do have things I think enough SIDS teams chat and things like that where people are sort of in together. So it's all very connected. I think it's great. Yeah, that is the one thing I like about here. Yeah. Connections. Yeah. Stuff. Everyone knows each other. Always there to help each other out. Yeah. And everybody is so friendly as well. So we've got like that. Oh like questions just to get to know you a bit more. Yeah. So who would you say has had the biggest influence on your life? I feel like it's a bit of a deep question. But like any sciences. Or anything, that's kind of, you know, it made you want to enter this career. So I think I got not sure it's one person I think is, you know takes a village to raise a child. That's all. The. Mentality. I think there's a lot of people I've see families is a really big one. So of making sure that, like I especially now have a daughter, they have to help me with childcare and things as well. And my auntie, she was like a second mother to me. So it's like we all sort of band together and I think, yeah, obviously now my daughter is obviously the biggest influence. She's the one that dictates. What I can do is make sure that she's sorted for anything else. And she's young, she's happy and healthy. I'm fine. I can deal with nothing else if she's happy and healthy. But that's maybe sort of the main push in my life. But I think, yeah, just in general terms, I think your support network is what helps to make me. Who I am. Well, yeah, that's what I suppose. Yeah. That's really cute. Um, have you had any, like. Have you face any certain challenges and stuff? Like, well, I forgot in regards to the disability or outside of the disability ifs any challenges. Fam To be honest, I probably have to. I can't think of them any right? Yeah. I think selfishly to me if I'm things that that where I need you know and if it challenges I'm thinking okay I'll work one day and then walk. Is that a challenge. I'm not that that's a no I'm fine when really only I've had been quite fatigued sometimes. And the great thing is with the S the disabled students t the things have in place. So it's like extensions, deadlines. So I would have sometimes struggled if I was really fatigued when we needed more rest or couldn't work on the same time. Headaches. I had the extension that was really helpful. So I can't say that the things where there are big issues and I think as well, especially with the work as we work with the careers team, they are so accepting of everything. And if I've been able to say, go home to rest. Whatever you need. Let us know. So it's not just within the course and just within the disabled. Students teammates is university wide. Yeah. So I think this university is really great sort of support in it, students and staff of some staff as well. So it's just wonderful. So in terms of like Amazon, not like we were talking about earlier, how you can't really like a lot of people don't know the symptoms and things. So is there anything my you think that could be done to try and maybe open up the conversation or. I don't know ways of kind of because obviously you don't want to essentially like worry people in but like as you say, it's different for everyone. So I really want to be like, if you've got this going, get it checked out for Yeah, how would you think like the best way to go around it would be to try and get the conversation open, make people aware, but also be like, Don't panic. Yeah, I want to say panic. I don't know. The right way to avoid it. I think is just generally raising awareness because it's one of those things where it can be mistaken for semi or the different things. I thought it was like carpal tunnel or something really simple and it was, it might for some people it might. They might think, Oh my gosh, I've got a mess. And really it isn't. Yeah, it's so difficult. And without the tests that we have to have like MRI's and spinal taps, things like that, you won't really know. But it's worth if you have obviously just in general have worrying issues, go to your doctor. I think it's just a logical thing. But yeah, maybe just raising awareness across social media for one thing. Cause obviously like me, the people that are quite young, which are maybe more tapped in with socials, raise awareness on those or platforms as well as the generalized ones. Like on when there's like national mass days and weeks and things like that, like within the disability month. Just highlighting in to different disabilities I think is just a great way of doing it. Yeah, just maybe the minute I think, Oh, I'll remember that. It's Anita, it's one of those Oh that's, I've had that symptom. That might be the case I need to think on or oh gosh, I know somebody who's got that. I should probably educate myself. Just this generalized educate yourself, because if it's not you that's got it, you might meet someone who does. Yeah. So if you know about, you know, oh, they might need assistance. Just so I know they're one of those sort of things or I'll be mindful if they're talking to me and they're quiet, their speeches slurred, it might not be for an employer. For example, this is a random example. It was an employer face to face with somebody who was a mess, who didn't really know about in the case. And so you think, oh, gosh, I sound like a drunk, but actually they can't walk straight. You can't they can't speak straight. They're drunk. Actually, their male ups and the speech. And. Walk is affected. So it's just these things about being educate, I think in general, just how the same as if you've got somebody in your school or in university and they think, oh, what's wrong with them? Is this something something It might be that it might not be. I just in general tend to think the general education is a great one, but I think that spreads across all kinds of disabilities and issues, though, to be honest. Yeah. People just people need to stop being afraid of. Yeah, it's okay to ask questions. Yeah. As long as you're respectful not being rude, just ask questions. Yeah. Yeah, that's a nice answer. Um, so how have, like, you're in your second year, aren't you? Yeah. So just how's it been going so far? Braille. I'm very much. Not competitive, but I have received a lot to make sure everything's top notch. Yeah. Yes, I've done quite well so far. I get in some place and whatnot, and, you know, to me, I thinking there was one I forgot to put my pants on. I was absolutely livid with myself once to actually punch myself in the face, quite honestly. But I still got a face with just the SS. I couldn't believe that. But also, that's. Not good enough I to see that, Oh, that's not good enough. But that's just me being a bit of an overachiever, you know? Yeah, Yeah. Well, you one of those first years where like, because, you know, in first year they say all you need to do is pass. First year you get into second. Is that the same for your course? Yes. Yeah, Yeah. Were you one of those first year that was still like, know if. I'm going to do it? Yeah. The thing is though, I thought that first year once count towards your final accreditations. So I was Simon had. Right. Okay so I've got a face in this one with the 76 marks I've got faces of 85 or that odds a21 with 66. What's my average score for this year. And that Rack had his own affairs this year and it knocks on for next year. Somebody said to me let's like the last month they were like, You do realize it doesn't count. I was joking. You joking me? Yeah. No, I was the exact same. So I didn't know, like fairly early on my, like the lecturers quite like, you know, Don't Panic is such a first year because as long as you pass it in for your second year, it doesn't count to you and grade. But then I was just kind of like, No, no, I'm doing it. If I'm going to do it, I'm doing it. I'm doing it properly. Because I don't know. My mindset is kind of like, if I do it while. Now. And I'm in a good position now, the money is like the the real thing I'm saying is if I've got to take an example, like it's just kind of you already in that mentality, in that structure, in that organization, and it's not as scary. Because it's kind of like. I thought when they were saying all that stuff, but I thought it would be reassuring. Yeah, I was like, Yeah. That's fine. I will pass. I'll make sure that I pass. I will make my absolute best, make sure I pass by one. Actually, I'm up there ready. And then I thought you'd just be, Oh, yeah, you have to pass when you'll be intellectually. Not yet. I want to pass. What? Go. Great. But you just don't say that. Oh, it's like. No. Yeah, completely mistake. Yeah. Well, you know, got to do what? You gotta do it. Yeah. So what's your so what's your course like? So it's education. So yeah, it's cool. So what sort of things do you look up, Do Like how do your assignments work and stuff. Yes, it's a little bit of mix, to be honest. So we've got different modules. Obviously every year aims anything. And so first year we did policy and practice. So sort of going through the history of education and how certain policies like the Education Act came into fruition and how they sort of work nowadays within the school settings and within education settings to make sure we've had here. It's the legalities and legislation and we have safeguard in, of course, a really big one in sort of any situation with any sort of child or sort of under age, age, erm just to make sure that they're all safe. That's a really big one. We've had personal professional academic development so that sort of developing our own skills which is kind of extended into this year with a part as we call it, is personal educational strategies, that sort of thing. So it's just about developing yourself as an educator, basically having these skills. So we have, we got child development last week as well, last week, last year. A child's development. So we obviously stood in from any age, from birth and prenatal up to adulthood. And so it could be any sort of age you can educate to not be a teacher, you could be an administrator in school, you could work in a prison, you could do anything you like in the education sector, essentially. Yeah, Yeah, it's really good. It sounds good because it's like an entirely different world for me to media. I'm always intrigued just because, you know, my course is really practical. So I mean, it is your standard. Like, like everybody always say, it's like many students just watch films. I mean, I guess kind. But you know, when it comes to like, assignments and stuff, it's all very practical, like getting out in film and stuff. So like, do you do you have to do exams? Because I know some courses are after we. Did an example child development last year, but it was quite relaxed. It was one of those is online. You only do it once, obviously it just submitted and that's done. So we didn't really do many assessment exams. It was more essays, reports, presentations. They were all our assignments. Yeah. So it was a lot of essay based writing and sort of writing and prose or presentations where we actually sort of talk over them or present them to a small group that sort of things or demonstrating them interactivity skills within your knowledge sort of thing. So it's a bit of a mix, but I quite enjoy it. It's a bit of a good mix. You get the academic writing as well as the sort of more, more practical presentations and expression yourself in it as well, I think is quite a good mix. Do you and do you and your like course have a good like mix of people like to use or like get on? And yeah, I think we're not a very diverse group. We're all, all women on our course. We are a diverse age range. We've got people who are just 19 hours straight out of college and we've got people that are up in the forties, a bit older, mature students, we've got parents, we've got non-parents, we've got a bit of everyone, to be honest. We've also got am of my friend Sonia and she celebrates Ramadan indeed, but also before we started this, because we are such a great connection, our group does, we celebrate birthdays and we did an Eat Celebration party for her, so she brought fruit into a mum at dawn. And then I bought food and I bought cakes. I made I've got little bits of food and the lecture was in on this and then she tailored the lecture to the topic of what we were sort of enjoying the fake party. About, as I said, a party about. Eight essentially. And then we were studying about inclusion and religion. So it all kind of worked for the mass of the two. It was really great for being inclusive of that. And so her support in that support network within the classroom, I think it's just brilliant. That's really good. Oh yeah. We do do actual work, not just. Yeah, I mean. That's a genuine thing. I sometimes feel like everyone who like my family and stuff, I think that I don't because whenever I talk about uni, I'm talking, I'm not talking about like the lectures and stuff. I'm always talking about like conversations that I've had and the things we've done. And obviously I post on social media, but half the time it's me and my mates and, and Billund, which is our like campus bar and like the latest one I put a photo on, It was on a Wednesday which me, my mates always use as a social day because half day we don't is on the Thursday just works out and it was past seven so it was like post it on all the comments. Do you ever actually do any work? Well, if you want me to send you a photo of me, right, and I say I can do that. I'll stay in an email. Trust it. Yeah. Yeah but I've started doing that now. I'm going to prove a point often so men and taken photos of me like in the middle. Yeah. I'm like, no more lectures and stuff and I'm going to do a compilation and be like, season of work for. You on five. Are you satisfied now? Crazy. So you obviously you've got a lot of interest, you do a lot of things. So it's like the theater side of things. Have you always been interested in like. I've always liked School Musical, always thought I was a drama kid, intensive, you know, little girl dance Emmanuella I never did that when I was younger. So as of sort of 16, when I finished high school, I really got into going to this company and I did this stuff in high school. I did like the choir, the band did. You do and you like GCSE drama anything? I did music I did. But it was kind of this idea that it was see that I should have done an English baccalaureate and I sort of done very academic subjects. So I did a bit of a varied mix in high school. I did the typical ones, I did history, I did Spanish, I did art and music. So it was a wide range. I was a history music student too. Yeah. And then when I went to college, I did I did do theater studies in college and I did media studies as well. What is it about theater? You're like, Oh, like, is is it just the combination of, like music with, like dancing and acting? And I love I love. Playing song, I. Do. Love mixing song. And it's like the people that you meet as well. I think if you're with a good group, it's so enjoyable you feel like you're accomplishing something. And yeah, it's just an aspect of release and it's all your personal enjoy meant that you have something that's just feel your little hobby. And if you get things like reviews and things that people can see that, Oh, you are brilliant. It's that sort of, Oh yeah, I'm doing a good job here. And this that I like are doing a good job. It's just that nice little validation, I guess. It's just a lot of fun, to. Be honest with you. Yeah. What would you say your favorite late stage show is if you had one? Oh, that's like our favorite child. You call that? Not a few. Oh, that's the I love waitress. That's a great one. I'd love to play here. I it's a. Joe. So it wasn't that. I was like, Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember that now. Yeah. But it is so good and I love Wicked. I seen that on West End. Oh, it's brilliant. So good. There are so many, though, so many facilities. Like. I mean I've never, I've never actually gone to like I don't go, I love my musicals, but I don't really go to the theater. I've never been to like the West End or anything before. I love Hairspray. Oh yeah, brilliant. And hopefully soon at some point I'm going to go and watch six musicals I've seen. It is amazing and I'm seeing it as well next month at Stoke. But it is so good. It's just like I was kind of like, I want to go and see a show like us. I mean, I still haven't seen it, but I was like, I don't know what but not pick. Like, yeah, I mean, I mean, watch on a. Weekend and just do like four in two days. Yeah, I actually. Like, I mean Lion King Live is. Coming. That in New York. Oh wow. AC Milan route in New York as well of course. So it was amazing. Amazing. Just dropping that in conversation with. The fancy New York. Oh, amazing. But yeah, six does cause I'm a history nerd. Show support for Asian warfare. All right. Henry The eighth. Yeah, that's a lot about him. Enough as I get to was a chance. So earlier obviously we spoke about like, sort of challenges you face and stuff, but what successes have you had? Have you got any achievements that you're proud of? Oh, yes, I am. I think just a general Commodore Fraser. Yeah, good little. Human is a good little achievement. I think that I'll see with you that I know do well, getting firsts and everything. So hope there. You know, one of the top ones in my class, the top five, I dare say really. Big head say that I sound like really, you know. Yeah. Do well at university my door is doing well and I'm doing all my acting, so. I'm happy with it all. I'm quite so that I'm blowing, you know as well. But yes, so it's all very good. It's almost on a committee as well for a local village hall in Stokes where. What do you do? Like there's that social media night. I see. So I'll do the Facebook for them and I do. I done the post recently for that Christmas fair to put that out soft on that as well. But I do a lot fly I do the Instagram for the careers so I'm putting out stuff on that for the Korea team and stuff, you know, So it's careers and stuff, so that's the one I manage. So I'm doing that within work as all the. Canalside. Love it. Do you like being busy like I do? I do like movies. It's bad and I should rest. Yeah. When I'm not doing that, I think it's a waste of time. I could be doing something right now. It is like the gap between semesters. No, not. Not semesters. Light years at uni I was drive me. My that I was trying to. Find things to write essays about. Because I was thinking I need to write something. Yeah. And I really I should have like been writing like film ideas done instead instead of doing something to pass the time. I just kind of the thinking about how slowly the time is passing when. Like, you yourself say, like, just like. Yeah, I'm bringing it back to a whole musical thinking of sea music. Do you play any instruments? I don't. I used to play a bit guitar, but my hands are really small. It's quite. Difficult. Yeah, small hands is what I feel. Yeah, I do. Sing. I just think I'm not going to give you a demonstration. Right. I'm for. You. Ask me. Absolutely not. Yeah, I do think. But I say yes, I do that. Do you, like go on the karaoke every night? Oh, I love karaoke day. I do Little Irish. I would drink beer. So. Yeah. Gato. Jack, Not that I endorse any drinking. No. Yeah. Drink responsibly. What's your go to karaoke song? Valerie, I think is the one. I just got to go to the good. I think mine is. I mean, again, I really do. I do karaoke in like, if I'm with small groups and again, I've had a sense of drink, I will have a go. But I'd say it would be I Want It That Way by the Backstreet Boys. Oh, amazing that reminds me of Brooklyn. Yeah. And you do have to say number five. Yes, at the end. Yeah. See, Anyway. I was with somebody and they were like, Let's do karaoke. I said, Okay, let's do karaoke. Says you'll do it with males. Okay, that's fine. Went up and she was that right with you? And Whitney was like, Oh. My God, let me be joking. Whitney. Okay. Then she went up there. She was quite as a mouse whilst I was a little bit drunk at the time. Kevin It Oh yeah. That was like, maybe I should put. Yeah, not so it's just this is. Some artists and some songs. I'm just like, I'm not even going to attempt. Yeah. Witness one of them for me, I couldn't. Yeah, it's not. I'll always love you. That's just. That's too much. It was Want to dance with somebody? So it was party vibe. Oh okay. That's slightly but yeah. If I to sing. Oh what's I'm trying to think for songs. One of the songs is guy you have is it all what I want. Nothing. He said it was cool. I don't know well any of her about us. Like I'm not even going to. Like. That is just no point. So do you feel like you have faced any challenges in education specifically? Um, yeah, just open question. It's just like, yeah, it was very brutal. I know. I mean, I'm literally studying contemporary issues the minute and a lot of issues in education. So I'm, I'm kind of. Studying all that. The minute about different challenges personally and I, I'm not sure. I think I've always been a goody two shoes, so I don't think I've had many issues myself. Same. Um. Well, you one of those people that would get like when the teachers did like to see and implant, they'd put you next to the naughty people. Sometimes or be like be on the top table. Yeah. Yes. Which our system is very good not quite segregating of pupils to do that and is giving them this idea that I think they need to be better or worse at something because they're being taught. So we're studying that the minute actually it's quite interesting. Um, but yeah, I think it's, I think everybody's different. Some people enjoy school in education a lot more than as I love education of sort of embrace it as much as I possibly can. But I know some people it doesn't work as much for them, some people a lot less academic and more vocational with their studies. But still education. Um, I think it's one of those things that people think education is right. You sit down right in there, say that is academic, but really is lifelong learning, lifelong education that people get all the time. They don't realize. Yeah. So I think yeah. And I'm not sure I think just in general, except for so much that sort of ignorance and just having that knowledge of things, not just about disabilities, just in general, think if people are more educated about things, it might help. Yeah I think, yeah. That broad question of broad answer as well. So I feel like what's good, like what I really like about this uni as well is when it comes to like assignments and tasks. And so if they're quiet like the lecturers are there to support. Yeah, but they're really quite right. Go on now, go and go do it. I don't know if that's the same for you. Yeah. Like they're quite like I'm here if you need me. If you need help, come talk to me any time. But At the same time, it's kind of like because my course we do a lot of group work and it's kind of new. Come up with the idea and you do it. Yeah. Have fun. Sometimes it's like. Huh? Yeah. I'm very much. Booking tutorials with the lecturers all the time. Like, Yeah, please help me. I'm just do. And sometimes I will do stuff like I need to just check this is right, this is okay. But I think obviously the lectures are really great. A boost in like trying to increase your involvement with things and your understanding and then obviously links with from, with my works I think as well is the fact that with Korea is we're trying to make the best of what what your skills are, what you have as a pace and not necessarily about what you studied, what skills have you got, what interests you, what can you use and translate that transferable skill to the work place into a a strength that you have for an employee, that sort of thing as well? I feel like that's that's that's something that a lot of people forget, actually, because, you know, I know that there's a saying where it's like university is kind of like it's a piece of paper. How's a piece of paper going to get here? And I get what they mean by that. Like, Yeah, but it's kind of like, yes, I might not have, let's say, experi ments in the sector yet because I've took time out to go to uni. But the skills you pick up, the teamwork, the communication is a big one. I feel like uni I'm getting to meet loads of different people like you say. It's there's all the forms of education and sometimes it's the education in that you don't mean to pick up the. Yeah, definitely. Like I say about careers, we help with placements too. So to see these interviews is the mentor as well, both mentoring and professional mentoring for your third year. We do that as well as obviously jobs and placements. We have job fairs, we have things like this with the Connected Futures whereby people and people in contact with businesses that they can access for placements or internships or for jobs. And so it's really welcome to careers at the Creative Connect job Introduction University. If you are a student drop thing, just dropping that and come along or email careers, it's just UK for now. Again please by. Say we touch a bit on it like sort of dreams aspirations after uni. Like you want to carry on your education but let's say in five years time, where would you like to be? Well I think I've already thought most question and I will still be an education actually because this idea of doing Pgce Masters doctorate, I think in five years time I will be studying a doctorate if it goes to plan. And I. Say I'm still living at home with my parents. So it might be nice to have I've got some savings, have some more, so I can maybe think about getting a place of my own. Yeah. With my daughter. For yeah, I think just. Those are some nice little goals. Yeah. Happy, healthy and educate. I think the. Three main ones. So kind of just to finish off the Oh how can this is a really deep, deep question. Broad question. I don't know. Pull. You ready. How can society support inclusivity. Oh, big question. And. I think goes back to. Education again. Yeah. The idea that if you know what you talking about you know about things you're not going to be ignorant to them. Yeah that's just the general. I think that and I think yeah, just be kind to people. I think in general that's just the inclusivity of it. If somebody on their own go and talk to them, see if they want to talk to somebody or that sort of thing. And yeah, that's just, just general manners. I think in that. Case. It seems of maybe making amends with thing making alterations even to help people that maybe need support. So that's very much sort of initiatives and teams are in place to help those sort of things across both in life and in university. There there are department you can access to help you out, but I think if should be mindful and just aware of everything around us, just to maybe try and try and be as friendly, you can be supportive person to be supportive for support. To boost support. I want to say base support, venue. Everyone will be supportive and if everybody support, that's a side to be supportive again. Yeah, I think. Yeah, just a team effort, I think. Yeah. Teamwork makes the dream work. Exactly. Friendly saying thank you Sherbourne for joining us today. It's been really nice. No problem. Thank you. I really enjoyed listening to your story. If anyone wants to find out more about Shevaun and her stories as part of our Stories project, you can find it on our social media channels soon. Thank to our listeners for sticking with us. Don't forget, you can listen back to previous episodes too, so please, please go and check them out. Thanks to our technical services team for support in the production, you can see more of me and Danny when he's back. Your student communications ambassadors across staff, uni, social media channels you just need to follow at Stuff's Uni on Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to find further support University. You can visit staff Stock Act UK or the Student Connect team. Don't forget to tell us what you think about podcast as well. 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