I have found studying A levels at Esher College challenging at times, but I have persevered. I’m committed and eager to improve and understand the range of topics covered. In Biology, I have learned large amounts of content and am getting better at using this to answer exam questions.
From an early age, whenever asked about what I’d like to do when I grow up, my answer has always been ‘a professional horse rider’. As time has passed and I’ve matured as a person, that dream has never faded, but developed into something bigger, and more meaningful. I decided to specialise in a degree that involved equine rehabilitation or therapy because after university, I’d like to go into a job where I can work with horses to rehabilitate and rehome them. I want to make a difference and help an animal to progress and reach their full potential. My experience of working on a stable yard in 2010 showed me the blunt reality of what it was like, but even so I still loved it. Just being around the horses on a daily basis and helping to provide the structure that allowed everything to run so smoothly was gratifying in itself.
I am very conscious of the world around me, and in 2010 I threw myself into volunteering. Campaigning with organisations like the National Aids Trust, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and Parkinson’s UK. My work as a volunteer has made me a more considerate and responsible person, and I am constantly looking for new projects and organisations that I can get involved with. That compassion was reflected in 2011 when I became a mentor to the younger children in my school, helping them through hard times that I similarly faced. Over the last 2 years I have also been involved with a local dance group, taekwondo club and regularly participate in long and short distance runs for charity like the Sports Relief 6 mile run, and the London to Brighton bike ride.
My love for horses and riding will extend into my gap year, where I plan to travel to Australia to experience the true outback and work with the horses on ranches around the country, learning different styles and finding new purpose to riding. In the new year I will move on to New Zealand where I will spend a few weeks working as a horse trek guide, riding around one of the most beautiful settings in the world. Overall my gap year has been tailored to allow me to experience some of the most beautiful and exciting areas of the world, and to experience horse riding in a completely different environment. However this has only been possible through part time jobs over the last year, which has given me responsibility and a greater sense of independence.
by
its_prudence (student)
