A Psychology with Criminology graduate credits her experience at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) with giving her the confidence to pursue her career.
In her first year Jade Barnshaw struggled with homesickness, but the support she received from DMU helped her cope and become an award-winning student.
Now she has stepped out of her comfort zone once again to land her ideal job supporting young people.
The 22-year-old said: "I wasn't sure I'd stay at university but over the course of the second and third year I applied myself and enjoyed the challenge.
"Getting through university means I know I can cope and make new friends.
"Now I have a good degree, I got a job really quickly and ended up in a new place. I'd do it all again!"
Jade started her role straight after graduating with First Class Honours and winning the British Psychological Society Undergraduate Award for the highest achieving student on a Psychology-accredited programme at DMU.
She joined Catch 22, a provider of the National Citizen Service (NCS) - a social and personal development programme for 15- to 17-year-olds - as a Team Leader on a sessional basis.
She was then offered a permanent position as a Support Worker and has recently been promoted to Co-ordinator, with responsibility for organising and leading the delivery of the NCS in the Shropshire/Staffordshire area.
Jade said: "I was really pleased to land the role because I knew I wanted to work with young people - but I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did!"
Originally from East Sussex, Jade chose to study at DMU after getting a good feeling about the campus.
She said: "The staff and students were friendly, I liked the cultural diversity of Leicester as a city and my degree course sounded brilliant."
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Although she was homesick initially, having a personal tutor helped.
Jade said: "It's really nice to have a personal tutor who knows you. Without Dr John Song my experience wouldn't have been so good.
"When I was struggling with the course, I went to support sessions in the library."
Her advice to students in the same position is to take advantage of the resources and opportunities available.
"Even if you are feeling low or unsure, find a positive - there's always one somewhere - and focus on that," she said.
Learning about young people and the criminal justice system sparked Jade's interest in pursuing youth work, while volunteering with the Rathbone youth charity and training to be a Restorative Justice Practitioner provided valuable skills.
She said: "I can utilise the techniques I learnt to explore how young people are feeling, calmly and professionally."
Jade's time at DMU has also given her another ambition - to travel the world. Inspired by her trip to Indore with #DMUglobal - the university's programme giving students the chance to enjoy a valuable international experience - she would love to volunteer on community projects in different countries.
"Visiting India was an absolutely incredible experience and one of my favourite weeks of my life so far."
Posted on Monday 14 March 2016