Career change proves a first class move for new graduate

Penwortham woman Sara Katz worked in a variety of administrative roles after leaving school and college but years later, a job in the NHS inspired her to make a life-changing decision.

Sara, now 30, said: “ I was working in an administrative role at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and thought the role of a biomedical scientist looked really interesting.

“Making a real difference by helping people and working in a lab was something that really appealed to me.”

She signed up to night school where she studied topics such as physics, chemistry and biology as well as a part-time job.

She did a science foundation entry degree at Preston’s College before completing the BSc (Hons) Healthcare Science at UCLan, designed for students wanting to become qualified and registered biomedical scientists. Sara has now graduated with a first class honours degree.

The new graduate added: “Going back to study as a mature student was certainly challenging but the course was really practical and my lecturers were very supportive. At the moment it’s a bit difficult to take in. To go from having no science GCSE to a first class honours degree in a science subject is very satisfying.”

She has now landed a job in Scotland where her parents have retired to.