Erin Hendry

Erin Hendry (28) from Cornton in Stirling graduated from the SWAP – Access to Nursing course and also won Forth Valley College’s Most Inspirational Student in the Department of Care, Sport, Business and Communities for 2025.

She said: “Forth Valley College was offering SWAP - Access to Nursing and, since I had been out of education for a while, this was my way into university. Access to Nursing isn’t just for people who want to be nurses, it includes a whole range of healthcare careers including Paramedics, which is what I want to do. There are other routes into university, but studying at FVC allowed me to refamiliarize myself with formal education, and provided structured learning that could participate in whilst still working part time.

“The College has great facilities, we made use particularly of the clinical skills room where we could carry out scenarios in an environment similar to a hospital ward, using medical equipment.

“The lecturers were excellent, each one of them put so much of themselves into the course and made us feel comfortable and supported. Every one of my lecturers were extremely knowledgeable and experienced in their subject, friendly and went above and beyond to make sure each member of the class had the best chances of success.

“The College experience reignited a sense of confidence in myself in regard to academic capability, and I’ve come to really enjoy learning again. I’ve also developed academic skills in time for starting university, which will help me to not feel like I'm trailing behind.

“Completing SWAP has given me the credits I needed to get into university after a long break from education, so it’s been the crucial first step in pursuit of my dream career. The College also supported with making sure that we were submitting high quality applications to university, which helped to make sure we had the best chances of making the cut.

“I’d highly recommend the SWAP Access to Nursing Course to anyone who’s been out of education for a while, or who doesn’t have the right qualifications yet to get into university. It really prepares you with the right skills and gets you into the right mindset for further study. Most importantly, it gives you confidence you may have lost or have never had before.

“Being at College again has shown me that I’m truly ready to go to university, which was something I’d written myself off from years ago. This past year has been a reminder to myself that I do really enjoy learning and I’m now ready to keep progressing.

“College opens so many opportunities for progression. If you didn’t like school, it doesn't mean college won’t be for you, the environment is totally different, you get as much or as little support as you need, and it can unlock potential in you that you didn’t know you had.”