Meet Pheonix Jones

When I began my second year I started to become very ill which reflected in my grades. I was missing classes, failing on my assignments and unable to revise for my exams. I started to become very worried and unsure what to do - I never thought I would graduate. 

After weeks of seeking medical advice, I found out I was in fact pregnant. I thought it was the end of the world, I thought I would never be able to go back to university, I just did not know what to do!

Then I got in touch with David Percival, the Student Progression Assistant in the Business School, who in many ways has been my guardian angel.

After having my first 1-1 with David, he helped me to understand that becoming a mother and doing my degree would not be the end of the world and that he would help me in any way to get through it and relieve my stress. 

He helped set me up with some people in the University House to do a PMC for my low grades, so that was one stress gone.

He then helped me with the process of going on leave for a while whilst I have my baby, but also mainly to have some time to myself after the very sudden life changes I had been through. 

David fully supported me when I returned earlier than expected to finish my second year. He put everything into place for me to return like my blackboard and sorting my timetable. He sorted out my student finance issues after taking some time out. But not only did he support me in that way, he recognised the amount of stress I went through and the massive life changes, therefore he made an appointment with a wellbeing councillor at University House to make sure I would be coping ok, managing motherhood and university work and deadlines. Alongside that, making sure I could get by financially after I had to leave my job.   

And recently, after being very worried about my previous grades, David helped me to understand my grades by sitting down with me and going through the process of how it will all be calculated, so I knew what grades I had to be getting to reach my end goal. Following this, he then assisted me with the start of my application for a Masters, at the side of putting me in touch with someone who could advise me on my future employment opportunities. 

There are so many reasons why someone like David is important to have at a university, every student has their own problems and issues, without someone like David those problems and issues can amount causing stress and maybe even a drop out from university. And I know for a fact without David and his support, I would not be graduating in July. 

He solved all my worries and problems, it has been like having my own guardian angel helping me through my University experience. My wish is for future students to understand that there is help within the University, however big or small your problem is - do not suffer alone. 

So thank you David, thank you for helping me get through it all and pushing me to be my greater self. I will forever be in debt to you. 

Pheonix is a final year student on the LLB Law with Criminology programme.  Thank you to Pheonix for sharing her story.

Photo credits: main photo by Priscilla du Preez on Unsplash; second photo by Dayne Topkin on Unsplash