“You are ready when you are ready, and when you know what you want to do, you must go for it.”
For Kiana, caring for others has always been a natural part of life. Growing up, she spent years supporting her mother through mental health challenges and helping care for her younger brother. Those experiences shaped her outlook and ultimately inspired her career ambitions. “It’s kind of always been caring and doing that kind of role in my life anyway,” Kiana says.
After trying different jobs and training opportunities, Kiana realised she needed a career that combined helping others with continuous development. “I needed something that is varied enough, includes helping, constant learning, constant progression,” she explains. “Physiotherapy fell into both sides.”
Although she had previously returned to education to study sports and fitness qualifications, university had never seemed like a realistic option. “I didn’t think I was academic,” she says. “So, this was a huge, huge step to come back and really go into that level of academic life.”
The Access to Nursing and Human Sciences Diploma helped change that perception. Through developing academic skills, research techniques and confidence in higher-level study, Kiana now feels fully prepared for university. “Having this and knowing referencing now has made me so confident going up,” she says.
This autumn, Kiana will begin studying Physiotherapy at Keele University, where she is looking forward to experiencing life beyond Cornwall and embracing new opportunities. “I want to go and experience, travel a bit, figure myself out at the same time,” she says. Particularly exciting is the possibility of international study opportunities. “The opportunity to do a year abroad will really help in my own practice, being able to see how other people live in other countries.”
Reflecting on her Access experience, Kiana credits the support of both staff and fellow students for helping her succeed. “The support has been outstanding,” she says. “We’ve all been pulling each other through when people have been struggling.”
Her advice for anyone thinking about taking the leap into higher education is simple: “You are ready when you are ready, and when you know what you want to do, you must go for it.”
Looking back, Kiana believes the Access route has been the perfect foundation for university. “I feel so prepared for the next step.”
