Hannah Zammitt
Hannah Zammitt is about to embark on her chosen career after completing her Paramedic Science degree.
Hannah, who achieved First Class Honours, said: "Receiving a First Class Honours degree in itself is a great achievement, but taking into consideration the effects of the coronavirus pandemic over the past year I am immensely proud to have achieved this with all the added challenges and pressures this past year have brought.”
When the pandemic disrupted her studies and caused some of her placements to be cancelled, Hannah jumped at the opportunity to find another way.
“West Midlands Ambulance Service began employing students to work on the frontline to help during the pandemic with the pressures they were facing,” she said. “I took this opportunity to not only maintain the valuable learning and experience I was losing from the cancelled placements, but also to help the community and the ambulance service. I felt extremely privileged that I was able to help many people during the unprecedented times, as hard as it was having to isolate myself away from family and friends.”
Since qualifying as a paramedic, Hannah has secured a job with the West Midlands Ambulance Service, although she is considering pursuing further academic study in the future, possibly with a PhD in the field of endocrinology and diabetes.
And although Hannah admits there were times in her final year when she was finding it so hard that she wasn’t sure she could carry on, she is happy to look back safe in the knowledge that all her efforts were worth it.
“During the end of last year many of the effects of the pandemic were already taking a massive toll on my mental health and greatly affected me, my relationships and my work ethic,” she said. “I am so grateful for the support I received from family, friends and the University, without which I definitely would not have improved my mental health and would not be graduating this year. I came back stronger at the beginning of this year, completed my exams, assignments and work placement which again would not have been possible without the hard work that all the staff at the University invested.”
“I invested so much time and effort into writing my dissertation - which focused on mental health - and after achieving an A+ I am working alongside my lecturers at the university to get it published.”
“Overall, my time at the university of Worcester has taught me so much and I have come away with so many skills that I will use throughout my lifetime in and out of work. To all my lecturers, friends and family, thank you for everything. Your love, help, guidance and wisdom has played a massive part in shaping me into the person I am today,” Hannah added.