Your exam results do not define you. They can often be a reflection of a moment in your life. And that moment for some can be incredibly hard for so many reasons.
During this pandemic I have been in total awe of how our young people have navigated such unprecedented times.
I am privileged to work with teens and to learn from them. I've watched their resilience, self confidence and self esteem challenged over the last year. Educationally they have navigated the most uncertain and unpredictable storms.
As results start to come out throughout August please remember your grades do not define you. As I spoke to my son a few days ago, a young adult uncertain of which path forwards to take in life. I reminded him that we can all take paths at different speeds in different ways.
I left school early with hardly any GCSEs.
I moved to my father's house and retook my year. Amid emotional upheaval I scraped through and resurfaced with a handful of GCSEs. At that tender age I was naive and immature, thinking I could conquer the world. With difficulties at home I made the decision to move away and find work. A monumental step from one area of the country to another.
My first job was as a mothers help in Salisbury where I was up at 6am daily to feed pheasants on a farm no less!
My next leap of faith was to London.
In order to cover living costs I worked as a live in nanny at 17 years old in a city I didn't know. I grew emotionally through lots of life lessons some good some not so good. I don't regret any of them. I moved to new jobs as a temp nanny and learned new lessons. I got to travel America and Europe working with and meeting well know celebrities at a young age. Learning more life lessons!
Along my journey I worked in a restaurant, it lasted one day! But that's another story. I worked for some time in a care home, which I adored. I was known at 19 as Nurse Becky because my shoes clicked along the corridor as I walked. My journey into caring for others began very young.
My very first job was running a creche for a womens Aid group at 13 years old.
I can still see those women coming in, some bruised some bandaged, handing their children over to me. My mother ran the groups.
That was a pivotal moment in my young teenage life and possibly the catalyst for my chosen path today.
It wasn't until I was almost 30 that I made the decision to return to education and college after having my family. I spent 2 years training in London at weekends whilst being mummy to 4 children on weekdays.
And then I had the bug, by now I loved education and I was so ready to devour anything I could learn. I trained in Clinical Aromatherapy then went on to train over the next 10 years in Neuromuscular massage, Indian head massage, Advanced techniques in massage, Advanced non surgical face massage. That all lead into training in Reiki to teacher level then onto working holistically in chemotherapy.
I could not stop learning and growing. I set up my own practice and worked as a holistic therapist and teacher. Changing course again to focus on cancer patients in hospices and hospitals.
This lead me to train as a counsellor.
At almost 40 I qualified.
The journey didn't stop there I went on to study Family Therapy, high conflict resolution, and working with children. Last year I added a Diploma in Supervision.
My point.
You are NEVER EVER to old to learn. And for some that journey comes later in life.
As I said to my son, we all get there in our own time, taking our own path. The important thing to remember is to follow your heart and your passion. Choose something you love. Believe in yourself and know you'll get there. And you don't ever have to simply have ONE job. One career path. You can change it or add to it as many times as you like.
My dear friend here on my trip qualified as a Yoga teacher when she turned 50. I know and have met so many inspiring people returning to education in later life.
So please remember parents the results your children get today do not define their future.
And as parents have faith that your kids do and will get there in their own time.
From that determined 6 year old child that stood on my stairwell I was always going to do it my way.
And it's our job to support and guide our children to find their own path.
Whatever way forwards it may be.