大象传媒 Scotland - 大象传媒 Scotland - 鈥業 earned a PhD 10 years after leaving additional needs school鈥�

鈥業 earned a PhD 10 years after leaving additional needs school鈥�

10 October 2018

When I tell people I am a doctor, they鈥檙e like 鈥楻eally? You?鈥� and I鈥檓 like 鈥榊es. I am.鈥�

Julie has mild cerebral palsy and is profoundly deaf. She lip reads and wears hearing aids to help overcome her communication challenges.

Julie is also a Doctor of Assistive Technology — a mere 10 years after leaving additional needs school.

She spoke to The Social about the determination required for her to achieve a level of education most never attain.

From Additional Needs School To A PHD | Julie鈥檚 Story

Ten years after leaving additional needs school, Julie became a doctor!

‘Things won’t come to you on a plate’

Using technology helped Julie deal with the demands of university life.

“To do my PhD research and type up of my essays, I used my iPad to record it all and then I got it all transcribed.”

Even though her PhD supervisor said she had the potential to go right to the top, Julie knew her study wouldn’t be easy.

“I’ve learned that things won’t come to you on a plate. It’s all about having that fire and saying ‘I’m going to do it’.”

Julie said that a few people in her teenage years “really thwarted” her educational development. Achieving a doctorate after attending a special needs school, therefore, is something she finds “quite emotional”.

“I can honestly say that having a doctorate has given me personal contentment in my life.”