A Kerry College Journey to Success – 10 Years On….
Shannon Lowe, a Kerry College alumna, completed her studies in Applied Social Studies earning her a QQI Level 5 qualification in 2014. Currently living in Vancouver, Canada, Shannon works as a Community Mental Health and Youth Support Worker. Throughout the last ten years, her unwavering dedication and enthusiasm for her profession have propelled her career forward, marking a journey of personal and professional growth since her journey at Kerry College came to an end.
Shannon’s story demonstrates how integral Further Education and Training is for those who don’t excel in post-primary school. “Secondary school was always challenging and the pressure to achieve high grades in such a wide range of subjects overwhelmed my abilities. Despite my best efforts, I received 270 points in my Leaving Cert. and I’ll never forget the feeling of hopelessness,” Shannon recounted.
However, demonstrating resilience and perseverance, Shannon sought advice from a local career guidance counsellor who highlighted alternative pathways to third level education. She then enrolled in Kerry College’s Applied Social Studies QQI Level 5 course with the goal to earn 5 distinctions so as to qualify for UL’s QQI entry requirements for the BSc in Psychology.
“There was a pressure to fulfil UL’s entry requirements, but I was studying modules that were relevant to psychology and it was easy to motivate myself as they were interesting to me. My teachers also supported me every step of the way,’’ She added.
On results day, Shannon learned that she had earned 8 distinctions and was accepted into a BSc in Psychology at the University of Limerick via the Higher Education Link Scheme (HELS). This scheme allows learners to apply, via the CAO, to third level education upon the completion of a QQI level 5 or 6 courses.
There are many advantages to completing a course with Kerry College which Shannon illustrates as she explained, “after my Kerry College graduation, I was more mature and self-assured. This made my decision to go to UL an easy one. I felt more socially and academically able in the first year of my undergraduate which I attribute to my time in Kerry College.”
After graduating with a BSc in Psychology, Shannon later pursued a MSc in Psychological Sciences with UL. In addition to her academic pursuits, Shannon gained extensive work experience through various volunteer positions, such as serving as a Placement Officer at the Haven Hub in Limerick.
“Although I struggled in secondary school, it didn’t mean I didn’t want to learn. I’m as passionate as ever about my profession (even after ten years!) and I can’t thank Kerry College enough for the opportunities it brought me’’, Shannon concluded.
Shannon’s success is both commendable and inspirational and we at Kerry College couldn’t be prouder! Congratulations Shannon and the very best of luck in your future endeavours.
To learn more about Kerry College, please contact our Admissions Office on (066) 7149696/(064) 6622593 or [email protected]. Alternatively, you can visit https://kerrycollege.ie/ or check out our latest prospectus at: https://kerrycollege.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/KC-Prospectus-2024-1.pdf.
