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Former A Level student lands post-graduate job as Assistant Psychologist

August 30, 2023

Isabelle Surrell HSDC

A passion for Psychology has led a former student to land her first post-graduate job at a private healthcare company after completing her studies.

Isabelle Surrell, who previously studied Psychology, Biology, and Economics at A Level at HSDC’s Havant Campus went on to study Psychology at the University of Chichester, where she spent four years studying.

Isabelle’s post-college career didn’t follow her original plan, instead, her early roles gave her inspiration to follow a new path.

When she first left college, she secured a full-time job in retail, however, soon realised this wasn’t her desired career path. She then went on to complete a Business Administration Apprenticeship at a local dementia charity. Whilst she was able to learn so many skills in this role, she soon realised administration wasn’t her passion, however, the psychological side of dementia really interested her.

Whilst at College, Psychology was always her favourite subject, therefore, this role reignited her interest in the Psychology field, and she then applied for an MSci in Advanced Applied Psychology at the University of Chichester. 

Whilst studying at university, Isabelle acquired a part-time job as a Research Assistant for the University, working on a dementia project at the charity she previously worked at which complemented her passion in the field. 

After the completion of her studies, Isabelle secured a role as an Assistant Psychologist at a private healthcare company that focuses on treatment for individuals with dementia. 

When looking back at her time at HSDC, Isabelle said:

“My favourite part of my college experience was studying Psychology. I have always been interested in the brain and human behaviour and having the opportunity to study this at A Level fuelled my passion for this subject. 

Studying A Levels at HSDC Havant helped me gain skills required for my studies at university which in turn got me to where I am today. The freedom of college also taught me how to organise my time and prioritise tasks which is something I have taken forward into all my jobs and future studies.”

Isabelle added:

“Some of my favourite memories have come from studying here. Studying at HSDC helped me grow both personally and academically and I wouldn’t be where I am today if I didn’t choose HSDC.”

To find out more about studying on our Havant Campus, visit our course finder.