Ayesha Huggins

Children's Social Services

My mother, Wendy Huggins, was finishing her degree at Leeds Trinity at the time and I found some of the module topics she mentioned very interesting.

Why I chose to attend Leeds Trinity

I chose to attend Leeds Trinity University in September 2014, eight months after having my son. I was at a point in my life where I felt stuck and needed a push in terms of my career and income. As a single parent, I was conscious of the limited income as a nursery nurse with only a Level 3 qualification.

I knew I wanted to take on more responsibility and work closer with families, but I was unsure of what exactly I wanted to do. My mother, Wendy Huggins (pictured with me above), was finishing her degree at Leeds Trinity at the time and I found some of the module topics she mentioned very interesting.

Overcoming self-doubt

I doubted myself and my confidence was not at its best when I was thinking about the possibility of further study. It was at this time my mother encouraged me to apply for the Foundation Degree in Supporting Children and Families in Social Contexts. She looked after my son while I studied the English equivalent GCSE, which enabled me to meet the criteria for the course. After completing the Foundation Degree in 2016 I went on to study and graduate from Professional Practice: Supporting Young People, Children and Families the following year.

My mother and I are in slightly different careers, but I couldn’t have done this without her encouragement and support. I also had the extra push from being a single mum and wanting to continue working and making a difference to others.

My best student memories

My best memories were definitely the debates during lectures, I’m sure my lecturers will remember how opinionated I am! I am grateful for following in my mother’s footsteps because this degree has given me the confidence to step away from schools and nurseries and challenge myself further. I am able to use a lot of the theory in my current job.

Keeping the family tradition going!

My cousin Paige (pictured with me below) was the next family member to follow in our footsteps by choosing to study at Leeds Trinity in 2019. She is very similar to my mother and I in the sense that we are all hard-working single mothers. No limits exist in our family.

Our Foundation and Professional Practice degrees

If you already work with children, young people and families and are looking to gain a higher education qualification, our work-based learning degrees offer an alternative route to studying for a degree. Visit Foundation and Professional Practice degrees for more information.