Drew Wiggins
Drew Wiggins is embarking on a career within the police, just as she hoped for.
The 21-year-old, who has graduated with a degree in Forensic Science and Applied Biology, is soon to start a graduate entry programme with West Mercia Police as a police constable. “I am sad that my university experience is now behind me, however I am looking forward to the next chapter of my life and starting a career,” she said.
Drew’s aim is to eventually become a detective. She added: “Even though this isn’t a forensic role within the police, many of the skills I have learnt throughout my course will be very valuable. When studying forensic science we also learn about the input from other roles within the police, which is what initially sparked my interest in becoming a police constable.”
With her goal in mind, Drew decided to volunteer at the Worcester police station in her third year. “I was part of the problem solving hub in the rural business crime department,” she said. “This involved visiting businesses in response to stolen vehicles and advising them on security solutions such as CCTV.”
Drew, who grew up in Tadley, Hampshire, but now lives in Worcester, chose to study at the University of Worcester after her first visit to the campus on an Open Day. “I got an initial feeling of community and support from students and lecturers,” she said. “This continued right up until the start of my course with emails back and forth from my course leader. I hadn’t had this from any other university that I had applied for and visited.”
Although all three years of her university experience were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, Drew said the amount of support from lecturers made it a lot less stressful than it could have been. “Frequent video calls and emails from personal academic tutors allowed me to get help on anything I was struggling with,” said the former pupil of The Willink School, in Burghfield Common, Reading, who became a member of the University cheerleading society during her studies. “During lockdowns my housemates and I made sure not to lose the social element of university and would frequently organise events in the house.”