Michelle starting career she loves after community course transformed her life

When Michelle Adams enrolled on a community learning course at Coleg Menai, she could hardly have imagined how it would transform her life.

Back in 2016, Michelle found herself “lost” and in need of a change of direction, having taken voluntary redundancy from a previous career to care for her terminally ill mother.

At the age of 40, she decided to take her first “baby step” back into education, signing up for a GCSE Maths course at Coleg Menai. A year later, she progressed to A-level English and another community course - this time in creative writing.

Fast forward to 2024, and Michelle is in the second year of her PGCE at the college, having achieved a First-Class Honours degree in English Language and Creative Writing.

She is also helping to give others the same chance of changing their lives, working at the Bangor and Llangefni campuses as a part-time lecturer in English GCSE and Essential Skills.

Michelle has even been able to earn additional income from her writing, having had her short stories published online and in print.

It’s the beginning of an exciting new career that barely seemed possible when she found herself at a crossroads with a young family to raise and financial commitments to fulfil.

Michelle said: “My first baby step back to education was in 2016. I had found myself a bit lost and uncertain of where my future lay.

“I had always regretted not finishing my A-levels when I was a teenager, but like a lot of other people, it wasn’t the right time. I had tried to return to education a few times over the years but it hadn’t worked out - life always seemed to get in the way.

“In September 2016, I came to a Coleg Menai open evening to consider an Access course, but I didn’t feel it was the right fit for me. At that time I never imagined I would have the opportunity to go to uni. I had two young children, a husband who worked away from home most of the year and a mortgage to pay.

“Somehow or another, when I left that open event I found myself signed up to an evening class to retake my GCSE Maths - my weakest GCSE. I already had a D but knew I’d probably need a C or higher if I wanted to enrol on a full-time course the following year. I’m delighted to say I passed with a B!”

Signing up for an A-level seemed the natural progression after that, and Michelle chose English, which had been her favourite subject at school.

While this would eventually lead her into higher education, Michelle said her creative writing tutor Ffion Humphreys was just as influential in helping her achieve her goals. Again, it was at an open evening that she discovered the course.

“I was there with a friend who wanted to improve her maths,” she said. “I had recently started on the A-level English Language and Literature course in Bangor and was very enthusiastic about supporting my friend to join a course of her own.

“As we were walking away the lady at the desk asked me what I had signed up to do. When I told her I was studying A-level English, she said there was a creative writing course starting the following week and asked if I would be interested in joining. I signed up there and then!

“I’d always enjoyed writing, and there was a creative writing element to my A-level course, but my skills were a bit rusty so I saw the evening course as an opportunity to have fun, engage my creative side and learn something new.”

Michelle added: “Ffion’s delivery was outstanding - she made every class enjoyable and full of interesting activities for all the learners, whether they were experienced writers or at the beginning of their writing journey.

“For me particularly, I discovered that not only did I really enjoy writing, but I’m not too bad at it either! It also helped me process some difficult emotions surrounding the loss of my mother - it’s a feature of a lot of my writing. I hadn’t realised how cathartic writing could be and how beneficial to my mental health.”

Since taking the creative writing course, Michelle has had several short stories published, including her favourite, ‘More than Words’ which was published in CafeLitMagazine’s ‘Best Of’ print collection.

She was also inspired by her tutor to pursue teaching - a career she hadn’t considered previously.

“I owe Ffion a lot,” Michelle said. “She gave me so much confidence in myself and what I could achieve, and it was Ffion who first suggested considering teaching as a career.

“I hadn’t intended to go on to uni after I finished my A-level, but I was so inspired by my college experience, and as we approached our final exams and the other students were all talking about what universities they were going to, I realised that I wanted to keep going too!”

Michelle studied her degree through The Open University, graduating with a First, before returning to Coleg Menai for her PGCE.

“These days I am not only close to finishing my teaching qualification, I am already teaching English to learners in Llangefni and Bangor,” Michelle said. “Graduating and starting on the PGCE at Coleg Menai has been the culmination of a lot of years’ work, and I’m almost at my goal.

“I wanted to change my life and find a career I would enjoy and thrive at, and I’m on the last leg of that journey.

“I’ve had a lot of help along the way and I’m so grateful for every encouraging word and suggestion along the way. The support I’ve received from everyone at college has been excellent - from Ffion and my A-level tutor Alison, to my current tutors on the PGCE.

“I love being a member of the Coleg Menai community, both as a member of staff and as a student. It’s inclusive, friendly and supportive.

“If I can inspire just one learner in my classes the way Ffion, Alison and the countless college staff I’ve encountered have inspired me, then I will consider every late-night study session, every assignment that I’ve slaved over and every nail-biting wait for exam results to have been worthwhile.”

Michelle’s story is just one example of how learners’ lives have been transformed after they enrolled on a course under Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s Lifelong Learning provision.

The Grŵp offers a wide range of courses under its Potensial (Lifelong Learning) brand - from entry-level to professional qualifications, including basic English & Maths, computing and IT skills, GCSEs and much more.

Asked for her advice to anyone thinking of signing up, Michelle said: “Don’t let nerves or uncertainty put you off doing anything you think you might enjoy.

“The first steps are definitely the most scary, but the staff here at the college will be there to help you, whether it's help with brushing up on your study skills or boosting your confidence and self-esteem. You’ll never know what you’re capable of until you try!”

Whatever your reason for wanting to develop new skills, Grŵp Llandrillo Menai has a course that can help. For more information on our wide range of Potensial (Lifelong Learning) courses, click here.