GRADUATION 2021: First Class Honours for mum of three Sarah Garner
Sarah Garner, a BSc Nutrition and Exercise as Medicine student at The University of Salford has graduated with First-Class Honours and secured her dream job in adolescent weight management, all whilst being a single parent to her three young children.
Sarah’s journey began in 2018 after being accepted to three universities and choosing The University of Salford to study BSc Nutrition and Exercise as Medicine.
On graduating, Sarah said:
“I started at the University as a single parent with three young children and I can honestly say that the support I received throughout my degree was amazing, choosing Salford has been one of the best decisions I have ever made!
“After being accepted to three universities, I chose my course, Nutrition and Exercise as Medicine, because I believed it would give me a better chance at securing employment in my chosen field; adolescent weight management. The course included accreditation for REPs level 2 Gym Instructor, REPs level 3 Personal Trainer, and level 4 GP Referral which are requested for all vacancies I was looking at.”
After the first lockdown in August 2020, Sarah decided to start volunteering at ABL Health who had moved their entire weight management service online. Sarah was the first virtual volunteer in the service and was soon asked if she would like to take on a placement with them, using their data to complete her dissertation.
Sarah’s study has since been used by ABL Health and sent to the Care Quality Commission England to form part of their assessment.
Sarah added: “In January a job vacancy arose and since I had established good relationships with both clients and staff, I was offered the position. This meant that I had already secured my job before finishing my degree!
“I have worked with children, families, and adults to reduce their BMI. I deliver nutrition advice and exercise classes at all levels and abilities, both online and face to face. I love being able to give people the tools to help themselves and I would not have been able to do this role without the knowledge and confidence I developed at university.”
Dr Anna Robins, Programme Leader and Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Exercise as Medicine, said:
“Sarah worked tirelessly during her time on the programme to achieve the best, despite juggling work and childcare on her own with three children. She displayed fantastic grades across a range of disciplines and assessments. I know she will have a very successful career in our industry.”