Claire Rushe

Having been made redundant in 2008, I ended up staying at home for seven years to care for my young family. When my youngest child started school, I decided it was time to get myself back out into the workforce, but I was very undecided as to what I wanted to do.

In March 2015, I attended an Open Day at Monaghan Institute. I felt very intimidated walking through those doors for the first time and if truth be told I just wanted to walk straight back out again, but one of the tutors immediately caught sight of me and came straight over to chat with me and offered me advice on the different courses being run there. After a ten minute conversation with her I knew I had just taken the first step towards the rest of my life.

I started the QQI Business Administration course that September. At times I found it quite difficult to balance college, work and family life but with so much support from my tutors and classmates I made it through the year and finished with full Distinctions. It was one of the hardest, yet most rewarding years of my life.

Monaghan Institute