Triple Celebration For Determined Jess
20 January 2012
Jess Millward teaching her class at Sinfin Primary School
It is lovely to be recognised by the University in this way, and to see my family be so proud of me today.
”For one special student today's (January 20) Awards Ceremony is cause for a triple celebration. Not only does Jess Millward graduate with a degree in primary education, she also takes home the Tara Abbott Award for Success in Challenging Circumstances - and will be applauded as she crosses the stage by her parents and week-old sister.
Since completing her degree in July, Jess, 23, has already secured a newly qualified teaching role at Sinfin Primary School, demonstrating her determination to succeed and achieve her dream of teaching.
Jess, who has lived in Ashbourne with her family throughout her degree at Derby, is the first person in her family to have gone to university. She puts her success down to her work ethic, and the support of her family, which with the recent arrival of baby Dolly, expanded to nine children.
As the eldest, Jess has often had to care for her younger brothers and sisters, and she credits her achievement of a BEd (Hons) Primary Education degree to her experience of children.
On the challenging circumstances that Jess has overcome to experience today's success she said: "I studied hard to get into university, but sustained a serious knee injury playing netball that meant I had to take four months off during A levels and in the first year of my degree for knee reconstruction surgery. This set me back and I had to work really hard to catch up."
In the second year of her degree, just as Jess had got back on her feet, her mother fell ill with the life-threatening autoimmune disease lupus, and Jess had to dedicate more of her time to caring for her mother and siblings.
She added: "Mum was seriously ill, but it was important for her and the children that I remained positive and strong, and continued to work hard to achieve my degree. Despite having to fit in my university work around caring for my family, I knew how important it was for me and my family that I kept pursuing my dream to be a teacher.
Jess will be recognised for achieving her degree in challenging circumstances with the Tara Dawn Abbott Award. She said: "It is lovely to be recognised by the University in this way, and to see my family be so proud of me today."
Programme Leader on the BEd Primary Education at the University, Sharon Bell, said: "Jess has a very strong child-centred ethos that is evident to see in everything she does. She deserves her success; she remained focused on her goal throughout all the challenges she faced. We wish her every success in the future."
For more information on the BEd (Hons) Primary Education degree visit www.derby.ac.uk/education.
