Stockport College student SAUL Parsons is dedicating his life to helping youngsters make the most of the childhood he missed so much of himself.
A congenital heart condition diagnosed at birth meant that 19 year old Saul had to spend long periods of his early years in hospital recovering from surgery but he has never forgotten the invaluable part his old primary teachers played in ensuring he was able to keep up with his schooling.
Now, he’s set to follow his life-long goal of a career in primary school teaching himself.
Left: Saul Parsons said:
“Teaching is more than a job for me – I feel like it’s a calling,” said Saul, of High Lane, who is currently completing childcare studies at Stockport College.
“My teachers helped me to plan my workload and stayed connected with me all the time I was ill, so that I could succeed academically and grow emotionally; I believe I’ve got the skills to assist children in the learning process too.
“The experiences I went through made me realise how precious life is, and I want to help as many children as I can for as long as I can, because I know what it’s like missing so much time in those primary school years.”
Saul has secured an unconditional place to pursue Education Studies at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) in September after he leaves Stockport.
Already, Saul has gained a valuable insight into working with young children through work experience at a local nursery, where he was able to focus on learning through play and developing children’s basic skills, including physical co-ordination, speech and communication.
His role as an influential member of the Student Council and Student Ambassador for Stockport College during the past three years has also played a major part in helping Saul to develop the skills he’ll need for a career in teaching.
“It’s allowed me to get out and meet new people, develop my confidence and really improve my communication skills,” he said.
“I wanted to get out and put over the message to prospective students about what it’s like to study at Stockport, and to really create a positive community perception of the College. In the future, I’d also like to be a counsellor for troubled young people or a bereavement counsellor.”
More recently, Saul’s Student Ambassador role saw him representing the College at a Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council meeting attended by directors, senior academics, government officers, chief executives and college vice-chancellors, on the subject of: ‘Connecting the public realm: how universities and local authorities can co-create public value’.
He added: “I see teaching as a mix of gruelling hard work and ecstatic successes – but I want to continue to grow and evolve myself too, and becoming a teacher will make me a lifelong learner…”