Education has transformative impact

Rasida Sheikh’s journey through education has been transformative, both from an academic and an emotional perspective.

She’s been on a “real treadmill” with her personal life, as her husband sadly passed away when she was just 38 years old, leaving Rasida and her three daughters.

After this, she was naturally feeling down and depressed, at a low place emotionally. She’d lost confidence in speaking and was struggling to retain information.

“My world fell apart and I just wanted to give my daughters attention. However,

education was still top of my list, and I never gave up hope in myself,” says Rasida.

Rasida shows courage in choosing education

Rasida subsequently challenged herself to take on a new course. She was working full-time as a teaching assistant, and it took “a lot of courage” to look for a further education course.

She was relatively new to Leicester, originally hailing from Coventry, and wasn't driving at the time, so needed a city centre based college that was close to her work.

Rasida remembers that people on the main desk at Leicester College “were brilliant” and gave her confidence to fill in the application form. She went for a test and talked to the course tutors.

Progressing with her studies

Rasida selected the English Level 1 course at Leicester College and having passed that, signed up to take Level 2, with encouragement from Mr Williams, the Head Teacher at Medway Community Primary School. “Mr Williams has always shown polished oracy within our work setting, and I feel like I have been able to demonstrate that through the Leicester College Functional Skills course for adults,” added Rasida.

She has gained confidence in herself whilst studying on the course and was excited about the different books she had to read.

Rasida continues: “It’s a good course to listen to, and I was easily able to understand the way it was delivered. The tutors were brilliant.

“Going back to education, combined with working as a teaching assistant for five days each week, has really lifted me. I feel better in myself, and it has built my confidence.”

Making her daughters proud

“Evening classes are really good for people if you’re willing to give that time up. My workplace was brilliant. I never felt tired, was stimulated, with a fresh brain presenting myself the next day at work. Every class developed positively, and the course tutors gave us so much time and effort,” explains Rasida.

“My girls have said to me that I should ‘get on another course – we’re so proud of you.’

I’m going to grab hold of these opportunities, so have been enquiring about more courses in the future such as maths, an NVQ in childcare or GCSE English.

“I’ve really developed professionally and would definitely recommend it for others.”