Wildlife student’s remarkable journey

After a grand ceremony at the Lowry Theatre, Jade Philipponneau shared her remarkable journey after beginning her undergraduate degree after traveling over from France.

After extensive research with help from her dad, Jade found Salford’s BA Wildlife Conservation degree and knew it was the course for her. Moving to Salford all the way from Bordeaux to embark on this three-year journey, Jade initially found it tough to be able to keep up with her English-speaking peers as the only French girl in her class, but she was not afraid of a little challenge. With persistency and dedication to her studies, she is now graduating as one of the top students in her cohort.

Finding a love for wildlife as a child, Jade shared how she briefly believed studying animal behaviour would not be a possibility for her as France only offered her studies in Life Sciences with minimal focus on the behavioural aspect. Disheartened, she and her dad began to search beyond France and ultimately found Salford’s Wildlife Conservation degree which catered for all the young conservationist’s needs.

Jade says she has found a particular love for big cats and chimpanzees and explains the array of fieldtrips and adventures she has found herself on since joining the course at Salford, saying: “I went to Uganda last year for two weeks and we did loads of practical work. We visited the impressive Budongo Forest, we also got to search for amphibians and study the birds and fish in the area. We don’t do that sort of thing in France”.

Eager to continue in the wildlife conservation sphere, Jade will embark on her Master’s in Wildlife Health and Conservation in Bristol this September and plans to study a PhD in the future.

Today, she was joined at graduation by her parents and two brothers where they all celebrated Jade’s incredible achievement and the place which began her early career in Wildlife Conservation. 

Jade added: “I just want to say thanks to the lecturers at Salford. They're incredible, they're all passionate about their jobs and want us to learn, they pass on their knowledge with a passion that can't fail to captivate us, their commitment to our course is also something unique that I've only discovered here. It's thanks to them that I've done so well.”

Dr Sean O’Hara, Lecturer in Wildlife Cognition and Behaviour at the University of Salford, said: “It’s been a joy having Jade on the course. She deserves all of her success. Jade, in many ways, is the perfect student; enthusiastic and wishing to learn, immersing herself in her studies but proving she’s also capable and talented too. In addition to being academically-gifted, Jade has made many friends who so clearly love her company. People smile when Jade’s around!”