Vicki Embleton
After completing a degree in Sociology, Vicki Embleton plans to teach.
She is remaining at Worcester to do a PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) in Religious Education and wants to work in a secondary school.
But she is first looking forward to celebrating her achievements over the last three years at graduation.
“I fully enjoyed myself at the University,” she said. “The University and all the staff were incredibly helpful and kind.”
Vicki acted as the Sociology Course Representative in her first and second year, liaising with staff to put across the views and feedback of her fellow students to improve the course, and became the School Representative for History, Sociology and Politics in her third year.
“The course is fantastic and up to date and always changing to address contemporary crises,” she said. “What made the course as good as it was were the people who I got the honour to share the three years with. Without them I don’t think that the course would have been what it was.
“It feels surreal to think that my three years are up. Starting university during the Covid-19 pandemic meant that I didn’t have the first year that I imagined but I feel that, nevertheless, I made the most of it and cannot wait to start the next part of my academic journey.”
Now she is looking to her future in teaching and has chosen to continue her training at Worcester.
“I’ve always loved being in education and teachers are one of the backbones of society,” she said. “Becoming a teacher will enable me to inspire a new generation of academics, speakers, and critical thinkers. I want to be the teacher I wish I had at school: someone approachable, friendly, and willing to listen. And, perhaps, even be the ‘cool teacher’. The course and connections that the PGCE course [at Worcester] have are fantastic and many trainees from the course have gone on to have great careers in teaching.”
Her goal is to complete the RE PGCE and to teach in secondary schools, focusing on improving PSHE within schools to have “a more sociological approach to contemporary issues”. She added: “My dream is to bring the subject [PSHE] into the 21st century. Let’s talk about gender dysphoria and transgender issues. Let’s talk about how feminism means equality not what many people’s perceptions of it is. Let’s teach kids how to write a professional email, how to buy a car, how to open a bank account. PHSE currently feels as if it is taught to cover topics parents may be too awkward to talk about, but it could be so much better. Of course, this goes hand in hand with RE and Sociology: my two academic loves.”
The University’s annual autumn Graduation Ceremonies will take place as planned from September 12-14 in the beautiful and historic Worcester Cathedral, followed by celebration receptions at the City Campus. No Worcester graduates have been affected by the marking and assessment boycott.
Find out more about the School of Humanities